Investigation of the Emissivity and Suitability of a Carbon Thin Film for Terahertz Absorbers

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-06-01

Carbonization In order to verify whether the carbon soot coated THz sensor produces sufficient spectral emissivity for IR-based readout, dummy test...ABSTRACT (maximum 200 words) The main goal of this work is to optimize the emissivity of terahertz (THz) thermal sensors by deposition of a carbon thin...film. Previously, these thermal sensors were designed to detect THz radiation utilizing metamaterials in a complicated optical probing scheme. We

Dust Emission at 8 and 24 μm as Diagnostics of H II Region Radiative Transfer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oey, M. S.; López-Hernández, J.; Kellar, J. A.; Pellegrini, E. W.; Gordon, K. D.; Jameson, K. E.; Li, A.; Madden, S. C.; Meixner, M.; Roman-Duval, J.; Bot, C.; Rubio, M.; Tielens, A. G. G. M.

2017-07-01

We use the Spitzer Surveying the Agents of Galaxy Evolution (SAGE) survey of the Magellanic Clouds to evaluate the relationship between the 8 μm polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) emission, 24 μm hot dust emission, and H II region radiative transfer. We confirm that in the higher-metallicity Large Magellanic Cloud, PAH destruction is sensitive to optically thin conditions in the nebular Lyman continuum: objects identified as optically thin candidates based on nebular ionization structure show six times lower median 8 μm surface brightness (0.18 mJy arcsec-2) than their optically thick counterparts (1.2 mJy arcsec-2). The 24 μm surface brightness also shows a factor of three offset between the two classes of objects (0.13 versus 0.44 mJy arcsec-2, respectively), which is driven by the association between the very small dust grains and higher density gas found at higher nebular optical depths. In contrast, PAH and dust formation in the low-metallicity Small Magellanic Cloud is strongly inhibited such that we find no variation in either 8 μm or 24 μm emission between our optically thick and thin samples. This is attributable to extremely low PAH and dust production together with high, corrosive UV photon fluxes in this low-metallicity environment. The dust mass surface densities and gas-to-dust ratios determined from dust maps using Herschel HERITAGE survey data support this interpretation.

Effects of Starting Precursor Ratio on Optoelectrical Properties and Blue Emission of Nanostructured C-ZnS Thin Films Prepared by Spin Coating

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rahimzadeh, N.; Ghodsi, F. E.; Mazloom, J.

2018-02-01

Nanocrystalline cubic zinc sulfide (C-ZnS) thin films have been elaborated by sol-gel spin-coating of Zn(Ac)/thiourea starting precursors at different molar ratios, and their structural, morphological, compositional, optical, electrical, and photoluminescence properties comprehensively investigated. x-ray diffraction results showed that the samples had dominant cubic structure and their crystallinity improved with increasing S content. Morphological characterization of the C-ZnS thin films was carried out by field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), revealing that the films were smooth with spherical grains included in clusters. Energy-dispersive x-ray and Fourier-transform infrared spectra of ZnS compounds did not show any evidence of impurities. Optical characterization revealed increases of the average optical transmittance and bandgap (from 3.2 eV to 3.56 eV) with increasing S content. The refractive index in the visible region increased with the S content, while the extinction coefficient decreased. The compositional dependence of the optical dispersion parameters (oscillator and dispersion energy), dielectric constant, and surface energy loss function of the films was evaluated. Electrical characterization of the films was carried out using Hall-effect measurements. The ZnS thin films exhibited n-type conductivity, and the electrical resistivity decreased with increasing carrier concentration and mobility due to enhanced crystallite size and reduced structural disorder. Photoluminescence (PL) measurements indicated a blue-shift of the near-band-edge emission. The blue emission peaks centered at about 438 nm and 487 nm were enhanced due to transitions involving interstitial S atoms, surface states, and zinc vacancies.

Effect of pressure-assisted thermal annealing on the optical properties of ZnO thin films.

PubMed

Berger, Danielle; Kubaski, Evaldo Toniolo; Sequinel, Thiago; da Silva, Renata Martins; Tebcherani, Sergio Mazurek; Varela, José Arana

2013-01-01

ZnO thin films were prepared by the polymeric precursor method. The films were deposited on silicon substrates using the spin-coating technique, and were annealed at 330 °C for 32 h under pressure-assisted thermal annealing and under ambient pressure. Their structural and optical properties were characterized, and the phases formed were identified by X-ray diffraction. No secondary phase was detected. The ZnO thin films were also characterized by field-emission scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, photoluminescence and ultraviolet emission intensity measurements. The effect of pressure on these thin films modifies the active defects that cause the recombination of deep level states located inside the band gap that emit yellow-green (575 nm) and orange (645 nm) photoluminescence. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Multispectral surface plasmon resonance approach for ultra-thin silver layer characterization: Application to top-emitting OLED cathode

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Taverne, S.; Caron, B.; Gétin, S.; Lartigue, O.; Lopez, C.; Meunier-Della-Gatta, S.; Gorge, V.; Reymermier, M.; Racine, B.; Maindron, T.; Quesnel, E.

2018-01-01

While dielectric/metal/dielectric (DMD) multilayer thin films have raised considerable interest as transparent and conductive electrodes in various optoelectronic devices, the knowledge of optical characteristics of thin metallic layers integrated in such structures is still rather approximate. The multispectral surface plasmon resonance characterization approach described in this work precisely aims at providing a rigorous methodology able to accurately determine the optical constants of ultra-thin metallic films. As a practical example, the refractive index and extinction dispersion curves of 8 to 25 nm-thick silver layers have been investigated. As a result, their extreme dependence on the layer thickness is highlighted, in particular in a thickness range close to the critical threshold value (˜10 nm) where the silver film becomes continuous and its electrical conductance/optical transmittance ratio particularly interesting. To check the validity of the revisited Ag layers constant dispersion curves deduced from this study, they were introduced into a commercial optical model software to simulate the behavior of various optoelectronic building blocks from the simplest ones (DMD electrodes) to much more complex structures [full organic light emitting device (OLED) stacks]. As a result, a much better prediction of the emission spectrum profile as well as the angular emission pattern of top-emitting OLEDs is obtained. On this basis, it is also shown how a redesign of the top encapsulation thin film of OLEDs is necessary to better take benefit from the advanced DMD electrode. These results should particularly interest the micro-OLED display field where bright and directive single color pixel emission is required.

Optical Coating for Improvement in Thermal Radiative Properties of Cu (In, Ga) Se2 Thin Film Solar Cells for Space Applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shimazaki, Kazunori; Kawakita, Shirou; Imaizumi, Mitsuru; Kuwajima, Saburou; Sakurai, Keiichiro; Matsubara, Koji; Niki, Sigeru

2005-05-01

Optical coating on Cu(In, Ga)Se2 thin film solar cells, which have high radiation tolerance, is investigated in order to improve their radiative properties for thermal balance in space. Due to low thermal emissivity, the temperature of the CIGS solar cell is expected to exceed the allowable limit if no coating is applied. Evaporated single-layer coating of silicon dioxide and additional over-layer coatings on the CIGS solar cells increase the emissivity from 0.18 to 0.75. The coating with the over-layer coatings realizes higher emissivity with less thickness than that of the single SiO2 coating. In addition, optical coatings reflecting UV rays and infrared radiation are designed and evaporated on the cells to control solar input. The developed optical coatings could give the CIGS solar cells appropriate thermal radiative properties for space applications without any degradations of the cell performance.

Microstructure and optical properties of nanocrystalline Cu2O thin films prepared by electrodeposition.

PubMed

Jiang, Xishun; Zhang, Miao; Shi, Shiwei; He, Gang; Song, Xueping; Sun, Zhaoqi

2014-01-01

Cuprous oxide (Cu2O) thin films were prepared by using electrodeposition technique at different applied potentials (-0.1, -0.3, -0.5, -0.7, and -0.9 V) and were annealed in vacuum at a temperature of 100°C for 1 h. Microstructure and optical properties of these films have been investigated by X-ray diffractometer (XRD), field-emission scanning electron microscope (SEM), UV-visible (vis) spectrophotometer, and fluorescence spectrophotometer. The morphology of these films varies obviously at different applied potentials. Analyses from these characterizations have confirmed that these films are composed of regular, well-faceted, polyhedral crystallites. UV-vis absorption spectra measurements have shown apparent shift in optical band gap from 1.69 to 2.03 eV as the applied potential becomes more cathodic. The emission of FL spectra at 603 nm may be assigned as the near band-edge emission.

Optical Properties of ZnCdS:I Orange and ZnSTe:I White Thin Film Phosphor for High Ra White LED

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fujii, Satoshi; Tasaki, Norio; Shinomura, Naohiko; Kurai, Satoshi; Yamada, Yoichi; Taguchi, Tsunemasa

In order to develop visible thin film phosphors, we have for the first time prepared ZnCdS and ZnSTe doped with Iodine (I) using low-pressure MOCVD method. ZnCdS:I, of which Cd composition was calibrated to match the lattice constant to that of substrate and the band gap to absorption peak, showed a orange broad emission consist of yellow near band edge emission and red SA emission. Isoelectronic Te in ZnS indicates strong blue-green emissions, whilst I donor impurity in ZnS shows strong red SA emissions. A typical ZnSTe:I thin film shows two broad emission bands locating at around 500 and 680 nm, respectively, indicating Ra˜90. It was shown that high Ra thin film phosphor can be realized by single material (ZnSTe:I), and that MOCVD method is capable for controlling the thickness and doping profile to obtain uniform white emission pattern.

Characterization of Pb-Doped GaN Thin Films Grown by Thermionic Vacuum Arc

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Özen, Soner; Pat, Suat; Korkmaz, Şadan

2018-03-01

Undoped and lead (Pb)-doped gallium nitride (GaN) thin films have been deposited by a thermionic vacuum arc (TVA) method. Glass and polyethylene terephthalate were selected as optically transparent substrates. The structural, optical, morphological, and electrical properties of the deposited thin films were investigated. These physical properties were interpreted by comparison with related analysis methods. The crystalline structure of the deposited GaN thin films was hexagonal wurtzite. The optical bandgap energy of the GaN and Pb-doped GaN thin films was found to be 3.45 eV and 3.47 eV, respectively. The surface properties of the deposited thin films were imaged using atomic force microscopy and field-emission scanning electron microscopy, revealing a nanostructured, homogeneous, and granular surface structure. These results confirm that the TVA method is an alternative layer deposition system for Pb-doped GaN thin films.

A Rapid Method for Deposition of Sn-Doped GaN Thin Films on Glass and Polyethylene Terephthalate Substrates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pat, Suat; Özen, Soner; Korkmaz, Şadan

2018-01-01

We report the influence of Sn doping on microstructure, surface, and optical properties of GaN thin films deposited on glass and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) substrate. Sn-doped GaN thin films have been deposited by thermionic vacuum arc (TVA) at low temperature. TVA is a rapid deposition technology for thin film growth. Surface and optical properties of the thin films were presented. Grain size, height distribution, roughness values were determined. Grain sizes were calculated as 20 nm and 13 nm for glass and PET substrates, respectively. Nano crystalline forms were shown by field emission scanning electron microscopy. Optical band gap values were determined by optical methods and photoluminescence measurement. The optical band gap values of Sn doped GaN on glass and PET were determined to be approximately ˜3.40 eV and ˜3.47 eV, respectively. As a result, TVA is a rapid and low temperature deposition technology for the Sn doped GaN deposited on glass and PET substrate.

Dust Emission at 8 and 24 μ m as Diagnostics of H ii Region Radiative Transfer

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Oey, M. S.; López-Hernández, J.; Kellar, J. A.

We use the Spitzer Surveying the Agents of Galaxy Evolution (SAGE) survey of the Magellanic Clouds to evaluate the relationship between the 8 μ m polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) emission, 24 μ m hot dust emission, and H ii region radiative transfer. We confirm that in the higher-metallicity Large Magellanic Cloud, PAH destruction is sensitive to optically thin conditions in the nebular Lyman continuum: objects identified as optically thin candidates based on nebular ionization structure show six times lower median 8 μ m surface brightness (0.18 mJy arcsec{sup −2}) than their optically thick counterparts (1.2 mJy arcsec{sup −2}). The 24more » μ m surface brightness also shows a factor of three offset between the two classes of objects (0.13 versus 0.44 mJy arcsec{sup −2}, respectively), which is driven by the association between the very small dust grains and higher density gas found at higher nebular optical depths. In contrast, PAH and dust formation in the low-metallicity Small Magellanic Cloud is strongly inhibited such that we find no variation in either 8 μ m or 24 μ m emission between our optically thick and thin samples. This is attributable to extremely low PAH and dust production together with high, corrosive UV photon fluxes in this low-metallicity environment. The dust mass surface densities and gas-to-dust ratios determined from dust maps using Herschel HERITAGE survey data support this interpretation.« less

Extended X-Ray Emission around Quasars at Intermediate Redshift

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fiore, Fabrizio

1998-01-01

We compare the optical to soft X-ray spectral energy distribution (SED) of a sample of bright low-redshift (0.048 less than z less than 0.155), radio-quiet quasars, with a range of thermal models which have been proposed to explain the optical/UV/soft X-ray quasar emission: (a) optically thin emission from an ionized plasma, (b) optically thick emission from the innermost regions of an accretion disk in Schwarzschild and Kerr geometries. We presented ROSAT PSPC observations of these quasars in an earlier paper. Here our goals are to search for the signature of thermal emission in the quasar SED, and to investigate whether a single component is dominating at different frequencies. We find that isothermal optically thin plasma models can explain the observed soft X-ray color and the mean OUV color. However, they predict an ultraviolet (1325 Angstrom) luminosity a factor of 3 to 10 times lower than observed. Pure disk models, even in a Kerr geometry, do not have the necessary flexibility to account for the observed OUV and soft X-ray luminosities. Additional components are needed both in the optical and in the soft X-rays (e.g. a hot corona can explain the soft X-ray color). The most constrained modification of pure disk models, is the assumption of an underlying power law component extending from the infrared (3 micrometers) to the X-ray. This can explain both the OUV and soft X-ray colors and luminosities and does not exceed the 3 micrometers luminosity, where a contribution from hot dust is likely to be important. We also discuss the possibility that the observed soft X-ray color and luminosity are dominated by reflection from the ionized surface of the accretion disk. While modifications of both optically thin plasma models and pure disk models might account for the observed SED, we do not find any strong evidence that the OUV bump and soft X-ray emission are one and the same component. Likewise, we do not find any strong argument which definitely argues in favor of thermal models.

Analytical Chemistry and the Microchip.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lowry, Robert K.

1986-01-01

Analytical techniques used at various points in making microchips are described. They include: Fourier transform infrared spectrometry (silicon purity); optical emission spectroscopy (quantitative thin-film composition); X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (chemical changes in thin films); wet chemistry, instrumental analysis (process chemicals);…

Optical properties of ordered ZnO/Ag thin films on polystyrene spheres

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Xiu; Chen, Xiuyan; Xin, Zhiqing; Li, Luhai; Xu, Yanfang

2017-08-01

A thorough research of the optical properties of ZnO/Ag structures sputtered by RF on PS colloidal crystal molds with different diameters is reported. The influences of the period of the substrates on the performance of ZnO thin films were studied. The results of scanning electron microscopic, X-ray diffraction patterns and UV-vis absorption spectroscopy indicated that the ZnO/Ag thin films were well-covering on PS colloidal crystal molds. The diameter of the polystyrene particles significantly influenced the PL spectrum intensity of ZnO/Ag by affecting the interferences of light. After adding PS colloidal crystal molds with different diameters, all the samples show two luminescent regions, namely a strong, narrow UV emission peak and a wide, weak visible emission band. However, the signal of UV emission increases more significantly. In particular, the maximum enhancement occurs when the diameter is 300 nm. This work proposes an effective way to improve ZnO light emission based on a simple, rapid and cost effective method to fabricate ordered periodic substrates by preparing single layer polystyrene microspheres masks.

Ultraviolet emission enhancement in ZnO thin films modified by nanocrystalline TiO2

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zheng, Gaige; Lu, Xi; Qian, Liming; Xian, Fenglin

2017-05-01

In this study, nanocrystalline TiO2 modified ZnO thin films were prepared by electron beam evaporation. The structural, morphological and optical properties of the samples were analyzed by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), UV-visible spectroscopy, fluorescence spectroscopy, respectively. The composition of the films was examined by energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX). The photoluminescent spectrum shows that the pure ZnO thin film exhibits an ultraviolet (UV) emission peak and a strong green emission band. Surface analysis indicates that the ZnO thin film contains many oxygen vacancy defects on the surface. After the ZnO thin film is modified by the nanocrystalline TiO2 layer, the UV emission of ZnO is largely enhanced and the green emission is greatly suppressed, which suggests that the surface defects such as oxygen vacancies are passivated by the TiO2 capping layer. As for the UV emission enhancement of the ZnO thin film, the optimized thickness of the TiO2 capping layer is ∼16 nm. When the thickness is larger than 16 nm, the UV emission of the ZnO thin film will decrease because the TiO2 capping layer absorbs most of the excitation energy. The UV emission enhancement in the nanocrystalline TiO2 modified ZnO thin film can be attributed to surface passivation and flat band effect.

Investigation of low-latitude hydrogen emission in terms of a two-component interstellar gas model

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Baker, P. L.; Burton, W. B.

1975-01-01

High-resolution 21-cm hydrogen line observations at low galactic latitude are analyzed to determine the large-scale distribution of galactic hydrogen. Distribution parameters are found by model fitting, optical depth effects are computed using a two-component gas model suggested by the observations, and calculations are made for a one-component uniform spin-temperature gas model to show the systematic departures between this model and data obtained by incorrect treatment of the optical depth effects. Synthetic 21-cm line profiles are computed from the two-component model, and the large-scale trends of the observed emission profiles are reproduced together with the magnitude of the small-scale emission irregularities. Values are determined for the thickness of the galactic hydrogen disk between half density points, the total observed neutral hydrogen mass of the galaxy, and the central number density of the intercloud hydrogen atoms. It is shown that typical hydrogen clouds must be between 1 and 13 pc in diameter and that optical thinness exists on large-scale despite the presence of optically thin gas.

Radio and X-Ray Observations of the 1998 Outburst of the Recurrent X-Ray Transient 4U 1630-47

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hjellming, R. M.; Rupen, M.; Mioduszewski, A. J.; Kuulkers, E.; McCollough, M. L.; Harmon, B. Alan; Buxton, M.; Sood, R.; Tzioumis, A.

1998-01-01

We report radio (VLA and ATCA), soft X-ray (RXTE ASM), and hard X-ray (CGRO BATSE) observations of a 1998 outburst in the recurring X-ray transient 4U 1630-47 where radio emission was detected for the first time. The radio observations identify the position of 4U 1630-47 to within 1". Because the radio emission is optically thin with a spectral index of approximately -0.6 during the rise and approximately -1 during the peak and decay of the initial radio event, the emission is probably coming from an optically thin radio jet ejected over a period of time. The 20-100 keV emission first appeared 1998 January 28 (MJD 50841), the 2-12 keV emission first appeared February 3 (MJD 50847), and the first radio emission was detected February 12.6 (MJD 50856.6). The rise of the radio emission probably began about February 7 (MJD 50851) when the X-rays were in a very hard, fluctuating hardness state, just before changing to a softer, more stable hardness state.

White light emission and optical gains from a Si nanocrystal thin film

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Dong-Chen; Hao, Hong-Chen; Chen, Jia-Rong; Zhang, Chi; Zhou, Jing; Sun, Jian; Lu, Ming

2015-11-01

We report a Si nanocrystal thin film consisting of free-standing Si nanocrystals, which can emit white light and show positive optical gains for its red, green and blue (RGB) components under ultraviolet excitation. Si nanocrystals with ϕ = 2.31 ± 0.35 nm were prepared by chemical etching of Si powder, followed by filtering. After being mixed with SiO2 sol-gel and thermally annealed, a broadband photoluminescence (PL) from the thin film was observed. The RGB ratio of the PL can be tuned by changing the annealing temperature or atmosphere, which is 1.00/3.26/4.59 for the pure white light emission. The origins of the PL components could be due to differences in oxygen-passivation degree for Si nanocrystals. The results may find applications in white-light Si lasing and Si lighting.

Evaluation of the optical characteristics of c-axis oriented zinc oxide thin films grown by sol gel spin coating technique

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baisakh, K.; Behera, S.; Pati, S.

2018-03-01

In this work we have systematically studied the optical characteristics of synthesized wurzite zinc oxide thin films exhibiting (002) orientation. Using sol gel spin coating technique zinc oxide thin films are grown on pre cleaned fused quartz substrates. Structural properties of the films are studied using X-ray diffraction analysis. Micro structural analysis and thickness of the grown samples are analyzed using field emission scanning electron microscopy. With an aim to investigate the optical characteristics of the grown zinc oxide thin films the transmission and reflection spectra are evaluated in the ultraviolet-visible (UV-VIS) range. Using envelope method, the refractive index, extinction coefficient, absorption coefficient, band gap energy and the thickness of the synthesized films are estimated from the recorded UV-VIS spectra. An attempt has also been made to study the influence of crystallographic orientation on the optical characteristics of the grown films.

Structural, electrical and optical properties of nanostructured ZrO2 thin film deposited by SILAR method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Salodkar, R. V.; Belkhedkar, M. R.; Nemade, S. D.

2018-05-01

Successive Ionic Layer Adsorption and Reaction (SILAR) method has been employed to deposit nanocrystalline ZrO2 thin film of thickness 91 nm onto glass substrates using ZrOCl2.8H2O and NaOH as cationic and anionic precursors respectively. The structural and surface morphological characterizations have been carried out by means of X-ray diffraction and field emission scanning electron microscopy confirms the nanocrystalline nature of ZrO2 thin film. The direct optical band gap and activation energy of the ZrO2 thin film are found to be 4.74 and 0.80eV respectively.

A Photonic Crystal Laser from Solution Based Organo-Lead Iodide Perovskite Thin Films.

PubMed

Chen, Songtao; Roh, Kwangdong; Lee, Joonhee; Chong, Wee Kiang; Lu, Yao; Mathews, Nripan; Sum, Tze Chien; Nurmikko, Arto

2016-04-26

Perovskite semiconductors are actively investigated for high performance solar cells. Their large optical absorption coefficient and facile solution-based, low-temperature synthesis of thin films make perovskites also a candidate for light-emitting devices across the visible and near-infrared. Specific to their potential as optical gain medium for lasers, early work has demonstrated amplified spontaneous emission and lasing at attractively low thresholds of photoexcitation. Here, we take an important step toward practically usable perovskite lasers where a solution-processed thin film is embedded within a two-dimensional photonic crystal resonator. We demonstrate high degree of temporally and spatially coherent lasing whereby well-defined directional emission is achieved near 788 nm wavelength at optical pumping energy density threshold of 68.5 ± 3.0 μJ/cm(2). The measured power conversion efficiency and differential quantum efficiency of the perovskite photonic crystal laser are 13.8 ± 0.8% and 35.8 ± 5.4%, respectively. Importantly, our approach enables scalability of the thin film lasers to a two-dimensional multielement pixelated array of microlasers which we demonstrate as a proof-of-concept for possible projection display applications.

Optical, structural and electrochromic behavior studies on nanocomposite thin film of aniline, o-toluidine and WO3

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Najafi-Ashtiani, Hamed; Bahari, Ali

2016-08-01

In the field of materials for electrochromic (EC) applications much attention was paid to the derivatives of aniline. We report on the optical, structural and electrochromic properties of electrochromic thin film based on composite of WO3 nanoparticles and copolymer of aniline and o-toluidine prepared by electrochemical polymerization method on fluorine doped tin oxide (FTO) coated glass. The thin film was studied by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier transforms infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. The morphology of prepared thin film was characterized by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM) and the thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA) as well. The optical spectra of nanocomposite thin film were characterized in the 200-900 nm wavelength range and EC properties of nanocomposite thin film were studied by cyclic voltammetry (CV). The calculation of optical band gaps of thin film exhibited that the thin film has directly allowed transition with the values of 2.63 eV on first region and 3.80 eV on second region. Dispersion parameters were calculated based on the single oscillator model. Finally, important parameters such as dispersion energy, oscillator energy and lattice dielectric constant were determined and compared with the data from other researchers. The nonlinear optical properties such as nonlinear optical susceptibility, nonlinear absorption coefficient and nonlinear refractive index were extracted. The obtained results of nanocomposite thin film can be useful for the optoelectronic applications.

Fabrication and properties of ZnO/GaN heterostructure nanocolumnar thin film on Si (111) substrate

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Zinc oxide thin films have been obtained on bare and GaN buffer layer decorated Si (111) substrates by pulsed laser deposition (PLD), respectively. GaN buffer layer was achieved by a two-step method. The structure, surface morphology, composition, and optical properties of these thin films were investigated by X-ray diffraction, field emission scanning electron microscopy, infrared absorption spectra, and photoluminiscence (PL) spectra, respectively. Scanning electron microscopy images indicate that the flower-like grains were presented on the surface of ZnO thin films grown on GaN/Si (111) substrate, while the ZnO thin films grown on Si (111) substrate show the morphology of inclination column. PL spectrum reveals that the ultraviolet emission efficiency of ZnO thin film on GaN buffer layer is high, and the defect emission of ZnO thin film derived from Zni and Vo is low. The results demonstrate that the existence of GaN buffer layer can greatly improve the ZnO thin film on the Si (111) substrate by PLD techniques. PMID:23448090

Fabrication and properties of ZnO/GaN heterostructure nanocolumnar thin film on Si (111) substrate.

PubMed

Wei, Xianqi; Zhao, Ranran; Shao, Minghui; Xu, Xijin; Huang, Jinzhao

2013-02-28

Zinc oxide thin films have been obtained on bare and GaN buffer layer decorated Si (111) substrates by pulsed laser deposition (PLD), respectively. GaN buffer layer was achieved by a two-step method. The structure, surface morphology, composition, and optical properties of these thin films were investigated by X-ray diffraction, field emission scanning electron microscopy, infrared absorption spectra, and photoluminiscence (PL) spectra, respectively. Scanning electron microscopy images indicate that the flower-like grains were presented on the surface of ZnO thin films grown on GaN/Si (111) substrate, while the ZnO thin films grown on Si (111) substrate show the morphology of inclination column. PL spectrum reveals that the ultraviolet emission efficiency of ZnO thin film on GaN buffer layer is high, and the defect emission of ZnO thin film derived from Zni and Vo is low. The results demonstrate that the existence of GaN buffer layer can greatly improve the ZnO thin film on the Si (111) substrate by PLD techniques.

Narrow-band tunable terahertz emission from ferrimagnetic Mn{sub 3-x}Ga thin films

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Awari, N.; University of Groningen, 9747 AG Groningen; Kovalev, S., E-mail: s.kovalev@hzdr.de, E-mail: c.fowley@hzdr.de, E-mail: rodek@tcd.ie

2016-07-18

Narrow-band terahertz emission from coherently excited spin precession in metallic ferrimagnetic Mn{sub 3-x}Ga Heusler alloy nanofilms has been observed. The efficiency of the emission, per nanometer film thickness, is comparable or higher than that of classical laser-driven terahertz sources based on optical rectification. The center frequency of the emission from the films can be tuned precisely via the film composition in the range of 0.20–0.35 THz, making this type of metallic film a candidate for efficient on-chip terahertz emitters. Terahertz emission spectroscopy is furthermore shown to be a sensitive probe of magnetic properties of ultra-thin films.

Structural and optical characterization of terbium doped ZnGa{sub 2}O{sub 4} thin films deposited by RF magnetron sputtering

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Somasundaram, K.; Department of Physics, Nallamuthu Gounder Mahalingam College, Pollachi-642001; Girija, K. G., E-mail: kgirija@barc.gov.in

2016-05-23

Tb{sup 3+} doped ZnGa{sub 2}O{sub 4} nanophosphor (21 nm) has been synthesized via low temperature polyol route and subsequently thin films of the same were deposited on glass and ITO substrates by RF magnetron sputtering. The films were characterized by X-ray Diffraction and luminescence measurements. The XRD pattern showed that Tb{sup 3+} doped ZnGa{sub 2}O{sub 4} nanophosphor has a cubic spinel phase. Luminescence behavior of the nanophosphor and as deposited sputtered film was investigated. The PL emission spectra of nanophosphor gave a broad ZnGa{sub 2}O{sub 4} host emission band along with a strong terbium emission and the thin films showedmore » only broad host emission band and there was no terbium ion emission.« less

Free-Free Radiation Cannot Make the UV/Soft-X-Ray Excess in AGN

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kriss, G. A.

1994-05-01

Thermal gas always has associated atomic spectral features either in absorption or in emission. In optically thin gas the emission spectrum is dominated by line radiation and recombination continua. An example of radiation from optically thin material in accreting systems is the emission-line-dominated spectrum of a cataclysmic variable in its low state. Barvainis (1993, ApJ, 412, 513) and others have proposed that the UV/soft-X-ray excess prominent in the spectra of many AGN is due to free-free emission from gas at temperatures of 10(5) - 10(6) K. Simple arguments using only atomic data show that the recombination radiation from emission lines would produce UV, optical, and soft X-ray spectral features orders of magnitude stronger than observed. Collisional excitation produces even more line radiation under most physical conditions. As a particular example I take the Astro-1 observations of the Seyfert 1 galaxy Mrk 335 by HUT and BBXRT. Depending on the ionization state of the gas (which may be photoionized by the central source), the emission measure of the free-free radiation necessary to produce the UV continuum (3 times 10(68) cm(-3) at 8.2 times 10(5) K for H_o = 75 km s(-1) Mpc(-1) ) implies line emission from O VI, O VII, or O VIII more than a factor of 10 stronger than any features observed by HUT or BBXRT.

Research on optical reflectance and infrared emissivity of TiNx films depending on sputtering pressure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lu, Linlin; Luo, Fa; Huang, Zhibin; Zhou, Wancheng; Zhu, Dongmei

2018-06-01

TiNx thin films were deposited on glass substrates using direct current reactive magnetron sputtering, and effects of sputtering pressure on optical reflectance and infrared emissivity of TiNx films were studied. The results indicated that sputtering pressure was a key factor to affect the optical reflectance and infrared emissivity of TiNx films in this study. When sputtering pressure varied from 0.3 Pa to 1.2 Pa, an average reflectance of less than 25% in the visible range was obtained for the prepared films. With the working pressure rise, the resistivity of TiNx films went up. Meanwhile, the infrared emissivity of the films increased. As sputtering pressure was 0.3 Pa, the infrared emissivity in the wavelength of 3-5 and 8-14 μm of TiNx film with dark color and low optical reflectance was less than 0.2.

Room-temperature wide-range luminescence and structural, optical, and electrical properties of SILAR deposited Cu-Zn-S nano-structured thin films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jose, Edwin; Kumar, M. C. Santhosh

2016-09-01

We report the deposition of nanostructured Cu-Zn-S composite thin films by Successive Ionic Layer Adsorption and Reaction (SILAR) method on glass substrates at room temperature. The structural, morphological, optical, photoluminescence and electrical properties of Cu-Zn-S thin films are investigated. The results of X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Raman spectroscopy studies indicate that the films exhibit a ternary Cu-Zn-S structure rather than the Cu xS and ZnS binary composite. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) studies show that the Cu-Zn-S films are covered well over glass substrates. The optical band gap energies of the Cu-Zn-S films are calculated using UV-visible absorption measurements, which are found in the range of 2.2 to 2.32 eV. The room temperature photoluminescence studies show a wide range of emissions from 410 nm to 565 nm. These emissions are mainly due to defects and vacancies in the composite system. The electrical studies using Hall effect measurements show that the Cu-Zn-S films are having p-type conductivity.

Investigation of plasma dynamics during the growth of amorphous titanium dioxide thin films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Jin-Soo; Jee, Hyeok; Yu, Young-Hun; Seo, Hye-Won

2018-06-01

We have grown amorphous titanium dioxide thin films by reactive DC sputtering method using a different argon/oxygen partial pressure at a room temperature. The plasma dynamics of the process, reactive and sputtered gas particles was investigated via optical emission spectroscopy. We then studied the correlations between the plasma states and the structural/optical properties of the films. The growth rate and morphology of the titanium dioxide thin films turned out to be contingent with the population and the energy profile of Ar, O, and TiO plasma. In particular, the films grown under energetic TiO plasma have shown a direct band-to-band transition with an optical energy band gap up to ∼4.2 eV.

Center-to-Limb Variability of Hot Coronal EUV Emissions During Solar Flares

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thiemann, E. M. B.; Chamberlin, P. C.; Eparvier, F. G.; Epp, L.

2018-02-01

It is generally accepted that densities of quiet-Sun and active region plasma are sufficiently low to justify the optically thin approximation, and this is commonly used in the analysis of line emissions from plasma in the solar corona. However, the densities of solar flare loops are substantially higher, compromising the optically thin approximation. This study begins with a radiative transfer model that uses typical solar flare densities and geometries to show that hot coronal emission lines are not generally optically thin. Furthermore, the model demonstrates that the observed line intensity should exhibit center-to-limb variability (CTLV), with flares observed near the limb being dimmer than those occurring near disk center. The model predictions are validated with an analysis of over 200 flares observed by the EUV Variability Experiment (EVE) on the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO), which uses six lines, with peak formation temperatures between 8.9 and 15.8 MK, to show that limb flares are systematically dimmer than disk-center flares. The data are then used to show that the electron column density along the line of sight typically increases by 1.76 × 10^{19} cm^{-2} for limb flares over the disk-center flare value. It is shown that the CTLV of hot coronal emissions reduces the amount of ionizing radiation propagating into the solar system, and it changes the relative intensities of lines and bands commonly used for spectral analysis.

Radio and X-Ray Observations of the 1998 Outburst of the Recurrent X-Ray Transient 4U 1630-47

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hjellming, R. M.; Rupen, M. P.; Mioduszewski, A. J.; Kuulkers, E.; McCollough, M.; Harmon, B. A.; Buxton, M.; Sood, R.; Tzioumis, A.; Rayner, D.; Dieters, S.; Durouchoux, P.

1999-03-01

We report radio (NRAO VLA and Australia Telescope Compact Array), soft X-ray (Rossi X-Ray Timing Explorer ASM), and hard X-ray (Compton Gamma Ray Observatory BATSE) observations of a 1998 outburst in the recurring X-ray transient 4U 1630-47, where radio emission was detected for the first time. The radio observations identify the position of 4U 1630-47 to within 1". Because the radio emission is optically thin with a spectral index of ~-0.8 during the rise, peak, and decay of the initial radio event, the emission is probably coming from an optically thin radio jet ejected over a period of time. The 20-100 keV emission first appeared 1998 January 28 (MJD 50841), the 2-12 keV emission first appeared 1998 February 3 (MJD 50847), and the first radio emission was detected 1998 February 12.6 (MJD 50856.6). The rise of the radio emission probably began about 1998 February 7 (MJD 50851) when the X-rays were in a very hard fluctuating-hardness state, just before changing to a softer, more stable hardness state.

Optical Analysis of Iron-Doped Lead Sulfide Thin Films for Opto-Electronic Applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chidambara Kumar, K. N.; Khadeer Pasha, S. K.; Deshmukh, Kalim; Chidambaram, K.; Shakil Muhammad, G.

Iron-doped lead sulfide thin films were deposited on glass substrates using successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction method (SILAR) at room temperature. The X-ray diffraction pattern of the film shows a well formed crystalline thin film with face-centered cubic structure along the preferential orientation (1 1 1). The lattice constant is determined using Nelson Riley plots. Using X-ray broadening, the crystallite size is determined by Scherrer formula. Morphology of the thin film was studied using a scanning electron microscope. The optical properties of the film were investigated using a UV-vis spectrophotometer. We observed an increase in the optical band gap from 2.45 to 3.03eV after doping iron in the lead sulfide thin film. The cutoff wavelength lies in the visible region, and hence the grown thin films can be used for optoelectronic and sensor applications. The results from the photoluminescence study show the emission at 500-720nm. The vibrating sample magnetometer measurements confirmed that the lead sulfide thin film becomes weakly ferromagnetic material after doping with iron.

Thin film coatings for improved alpha/epi

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Krisl, M. E.; Sachs, I. M.

1985-01-01

New thin film coatings were developed for fused silica, ceria doped glass, and Corning 0211 microsheet which provide increased emissivity and/or decreased solar absorption. Emissivity is enhanced by suppression of the reststrahlen reflectance and solar absorption is reduced by externally reflecting the ultraviolet portion of the solar spectrum. Optical properties of these coatings make them suitable for both solar cell cover and thermal control mirror applications. Measurements indicate equivalent environmental performance to conventional solar cell cover and thermal control mirror products.

Current Thermal Emission from Photonic Nanostructures Composed of TA, W, GE, and HFO2 Thin Films

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-03-01

absorptive wavelength bands in the SWIR to LWIR range. Ellipsometric measurements and models were used in order to extract the optical constants of thin...parts of the complex dielectric function of tungsten at 294 K (room temperature) , 1100 K, 1600 K as calculated from the Drude model , Eq (25...real part and k is the imaginary. Values were obtained using the Drude model , Eq (25), with the measured optical parameters in Table 1 from [67] at

New possibility on InZnO nano thin film for green emissive optoelectronic devices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sugumaran, Sathish; Noor Bin Ahmad, Mohd; Faizal Jamlos, Mohd; Bellan, Chandar Shekar; Chandran, Sharmila; Sivaraj, Manoj

2016-04-01

Indium zinc oxide (InZnO) nano thin film was prepared from InZnO nanoparticles (NPs) by thermal evaporation technique. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy showed the presence of metal-oxide bond. X-ray diffraction pattern revealed the mixed phase structure. The presence of elements In, Zn and O were identified from energy dispersive X-ray analysis. Size of the NPs was found to be 171 and 263 nm by transmission electron microscopy. Scanning electron microscopy image showed the spherical shape uniform morphology with uniform distribution grains. Photoluminescence spectrum exhibited a broad green emission for InZnO nano thin film. The acquired results of structure, smooth morphology and photoluminescence property suggested that the InZnO nano thin film to be a promising material for room temperature green emissive optoelectronic, laser diodes, solar cells and other optical devices.

Structural, Electrical and Optical Properties of TiO2 Thin Film Deposited on the Nano Porous Silicon Template

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bahar, Mahmood; Dermani, Ensieh Khalili

The porous silicon (PSi), which is produced by the electrochemical etching, has been used as a substrate for the growth of the titanium oxide (TiO2) thin films. By using the EBPVD method, TiO2 thin films have been deposited on the surface of the PSi substrate. TiO2/PSi layers were annealed at the temperature of 400∘C, 500∘C and 600∘C for different tests. The morphology and structures of layers were investigated by the scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The current-voltage characteristic curves of samples and the ideality factor of heterojunction were studied. The results showed that the electrical properties of the samples change with increase in the annealing temperature. The optical properties of the prepared samples were investigated by using UV-Vis and photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy. Green light emission of the PSi combined with the blue light and violet-blue emission obtained from the TiO2/PSi PL spectra. The results showed that the optical band gap energy of the PSi has increased from 1.86eV to 2.93eV due to the deposition of TiO2 thin film.

The influence of voltage applied between the electrodes on optical and morphological properties of the InGaN thin films grown by thermionic vacuum arc.

PubMed

Özen, Soner; Şenay, Volkan; Pat, Suat; Korkmaz, Şadan

2016-01-01

The aim of this research is to investigate the optical and morphological properties of the InGaN thin films deposited onto amorphous glass substrates in two separate experiments with two different voltages applied between the electrodes, i.e. 500 and 600 V by means of the thermionic vacuum arc technique. This technique is original for thin film deposition and it enables thin film production in a very short period of time. The optical and morphological properties of the films were investigated by using field emission scanning electron microscope, atomic force microscope, spectroscopic ellipsometer, reflectometer, spectrophotometer, and optical tensiometer. Optical properties were also supported by empirical relations. The deposition rates were calculated as 3 and 3.3 nm/sec for 500 and 600 V, respectively. The increase in the voltage also increased the refractive index, grain size, root mean square roughness and surface free energy. According to the results of the wetting experiments, InGaN samples were low-wettable, also known as hydrophobic. © Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Effect of SiO 2/Si 3N 4 dielectric distributed Bragg reflectors (DDBRs) for Alq 3/NPB thin-film resonant cavity organic light emitting diodes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lei, Po-Hsun; Wang, Shun-Hsi; Juang, Fuh Shyang; Tseng, Yung-Hsin; Chung, Meng-Jung

2010-05-01

In this article, we report on the effect of SiO 2/Si 3N 4 dielectric distributed Bragg reflectors (DDBRs) for Alq 3/NPB thin-film resonant cavity organic light emitting diode (RCOLED) in increasing the light output intensity and reducing the linewidth of spontaneous emission spectrum. The optimum DDBR number is found as 3 pairs. The device performance will be bad by further increasing or decreasing the number of DDBR. As compared to the conventional Alq 3/NPB thin-film organic light emitting diode (OLED), the Alq 3/NPB thin-film RCOLED with 3-pair DDBRs has the superior electrical and optical characteristics including a forward voltage of 6 V, a current efficiency of 3.4 cd/A, a luminance of 2715 cd/m 2 under the injection current density of 1000 A/m 2, and a full width at half maximum (FWHM) of 12 nm for emission spectrum over the 5-9 V bias range. These results represent that the Alq 3/NPB thin-film OLED with DDBRs shows a potential as the light source for plastic optical fiber (POF) communication system.

Optical evidence for the effect of gamma-ray irradiation on ferroelectric Pb(Zr0.52Ti0.48)O3 thin films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lim, Junhwi; Lee, Y. S.; Yang, Sun A.; Bu, Sang Don

2016-06-01

We investigated the visible emission property of Pb(Zr,Ti)O3 (PZT) thin films irradiated with gammy-ray (γ-ray) irradiated at various total doses up to 1000 kGy. The PZT thin films were prepared on Pt/Ti/SiO2/Si substrates by using a sol-gel method with a spin-coating process. The visible emission was found to emerge near 550 nm upon γ-ray irradiation, and the intensity of the emission increased with increasing dose. The spectrum of the γ-ray-induced emission was quite narrow, which was quite different from that due to normal defects such as oxygen vacancies. We suggest that the γ-ray irradiation generates inside the PZT films a specific type of defect state that can be detected by using low-temperature photoluminescence spectroscopy.

Physical properties of nanostructured strontium oxide thin film grown by chemical bath deposition technique

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ahmad, Farhan; Belkhedkar, M. R.; Salodkar, R. V.

2018-05-01

Nanostructured SrO thin film of thickness 139 nm was deposited by chemical bath deposition technique onto glass substrates using SrCl2.6H2O and NaOH as cationic and anionic precursors without complexing agents. The X-ray diffraction studies revealed that, SrO thin film is nanocrystalline in nature with cubic structure. The surface morphology of the SrO film was investigated by means of field emission scanning electron microscopy. The optical studies showed that SrO film exhibits direct as well as indirect optical band gap energy. The electrical resistivity and activation energy of SrO thin film is found to be of the order of 106 Ω cm and 0.58eV respectively.

Research in the Optical Sciences

DTIC Science & Technology

1990-03-12

organics for guided wave devices; nonlinear propagation and wave mixing in sodium vapor: gain/feedback approach to optical instabilities; conical... SODIUM VAPOR: GAIN/FEEDBACK APPROACH TO OPTICAL INSTABILITIES; CONICAL EMISSION; KALEIDOSCOPIC SPATIAL INSTABILITY G. Khitrova and H . M . Gibbs...Falco, "Ex situ characterization of MBE-grown molybdenum silicide thin films, The 8th Annual Symposium of the Arizona chapter of The American Vacuum

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Balman, Şölen; Godon, Patrick; Sion, Edward M., E-mail: solen@astroa.physics.metu.edu.tr, E-mail: patrick.godon@villanova.edu, E-mail: edward.sion@villanova.edu

We present a total of ∼45 ks (3 × 15 ks) of Swift X-Ray Telescope (XRT) observations for three nonmagnetic nova-like (NL) cataclysmic variables (CVs; MV Lyr, BZ Cam, V592 Cas) in order to study characteristics of boundary layers (BLs) in CVs. The nonmagnetic NLs are found mostly in a state of high mass accretion rate (≥1 × 10{sup –9} M {sub ☉} yr{sup –1}), and some show occasional low states. Using the XRT data, we find optically thin multiple-temperature cooling flow type emission spectra with X-ray temperatures (kT {sub max}) of 21-50 keV. These hard X-ray-emitting BLs diverge frommore » simple isobaric cooling flows, indicating X-ray temperatures that are of virial values in the disk. In addition, we detect power-law emission components from MV Lyr and BZ Cam and plausibly from V592 Cas, which may be a result of the Compton scattering of the optically thin emission from the fast wind outflows in these systems and/or Compton upscattering of the soft disk photons. The X-ray luminosities of the (multitemperature) thermal plasma emission in the 0.1-50.0 keV range are (0.9-5.0) × 10{sup 32} erg s{sup –1}. The ratio of the X-ray and disk luminosities (calculated from the UV-optical wavelengths) yields an efficiency (L{sub x} /L {sub disk}) ∼ 0.01-0.001. Given this non-radiative ratio for the X-ray-emitting BLs with no significant optically thick blackbody emission in the soft X-rays (consistent with ROSAT observations), together with the high/virial X-ray temperatures, we suggest that high-state NL systems may have optically thin BLs merged with ADAF-like flows and/or X-ray coronae. In addition, we note that the axisymmetric bipolar and/or rotation-dominated fast-wind outflows detected in these three NLs (particularly BZ Cam and V592 Cas) or some other NL may also be explained in the context of ADAF-like BL regions.« less

Photoelectrochemical properties of highly mobilized Li-doped ZnO thin films.

PubMed

Shinde, S S; Bhosale, C H; Rajpure, K Y

2013-03-05

Li-doped ZnO thin films with preferred (002) orientation have been prepared by spray pyrolysis technique in aqueous medium on to the corning glass substrates. The effect of Li-doping on to the photoelectrochemical, structural, morphological, optical, luminescence, electrical and thermal properties has been investigated. XRD and Raman study indicates that the films have hexagonal crystal structure. The transmittance, reflectance, refractive index, extinction coefficient and bandgap have been analyzed by optical study. PL spectra consist of a near band edge and visible emission due to the electronic defects, which are related to deep level emissions, such as oxide antisite (OZn), interstitial zinc (Zni), interstitial oxygen (Oi) and zinc vacancy (VZn). The Li-doped ZnO films prepared for 1at% doping possesses the highest electron mobility of 102cm(2)/Vs and carrier concentration of 3.62×10(19)cm(-3). Finally, degradation of 2,4,6-Trinitrotoluene using Li-doped ZnO thin films has been reported. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Electronic and Optical Properties of Two-Dimensional GaN from First-Principles.

PubMed

Sanders, Nocona; Bayerl, Dylan; Shi, Guangsha; Mengle, Kelsey A; Kioupakis, Emmanouil

2017-12-13

Gallium nitride (GaN) is an important commercial semiconductor for solid-state lighting applications. Atomically thin GaN, a recently synthesized two-dimensional material, is of particular interest because the extreme quantum confinement enables additional control of its light-emitting properties. We performed first-principles calculations based on density functional and many-body perturbation theory to investigate the electronic, optical, and excitonic properties of monolayer and bilayer two-dimensional (2D) GaN as a function of strain. Our results demonstrate that light emission from monolayer 2D GaN is blueshifted into the deep ultraviolet range, which is promising for sterilization and water-purification applications. Light emission from bilayer 2D GaN occurs at a similar wavelength to its bulk counterpart due to the cancellation of the effect of quantum confinement on the optical gap by the quantum-confined Stark shift. Polarized light emission at room temperature is possible via uniaxial in-plane strain, which is desirable for energy-efficient display applications. We compare the electronic and optical properties of freestanding two-dimensional GaN to atomically thin GaN wells embedded within AlN barriers in order to understand how the functional properties are influenced by the presence of barriers. Our results provide microscopic understanding of the electronic and optical characteristics of GaN at the few-layer regime.

Synergistic effect of indium and gallium co-doping on the properties of RF sputtered ZnO thin films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shaheera, M.; Girija, K. G.; Kaur, Manmeet; Geetha, V.; Debnath, A. K.; Karri, Malvika; Thota, Manoj Kumar; Vatsa, R. K.; Muthe, K. P.; Gadkari, S. C.

2018-04-01

ZnO thin films were synthesized using RF magnetron sputtering, with simultaneous incorporation of Indium (In) and Gallium (Ga). The structural, optical, chemical composition and surface morphology of the pure and co-doped (IGZO) thin films were characterized by X-Ray diffraction (XRD), UV-visible spectroscopy, Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM), and Raman spectroscopy. XRD revealed that these films were oriented along c-axis with hexagonal wurtzite structure. The (002) diffraction peak in the co-doped sample was observed at 33.76° with a slight shift towards lower 2θ values as compared to pure ZnO. The surface morphology of the two thin films was observed to differ. For pure ZnO films, round grains were observed and for IGZO thin films round as well as rod type grains were observed. All thin films synthesized show excellent optical properties with more than 90% transmission in the visible region and band gap of the films is observed to decrease with co-doping. The co doping of In and Ga is therefore expected to provide a broad range optical and physical properties of ZnO thin films for a variety of optoelectronic applications.

Optical and Nonlinear Optical Response of Light Sensor Thin Films

PubMed Central

Liu, Huimin; Rua, Armando; Vasquez, Omar; Vikhnin, Valentin S.; Fernandez, Felix E.; Fonseca, Luis F.; Resto, Oscar; Weisz, Svi Z.

2005-01-01

For potential ultrafast optical sensor application, both VO2 thin films and nanocomposite crystal-Si enriched SiO2 thin films grown on fused quartz substrates were successfully prepared using pulsed laser deposition (PLD) and RF co-sputtering techniques. In photoluminescence (PL) measurement c-Si/SiO2 film contains nanoparticles of crystal Si exhibits strong red emission with the band maximum ranging from 580 to 750 nm. With ultrashort pulsed laser excitation all films show extremely intense and ultrafast nonlinear optical (NLO) response. The recorded holography from all these thin films in a degenerate-four-wave-mixing configuration shows extremely large third-order response. For VO2 thin films, an optically induced semiconductor-to-metal phase transition (PT) immediately occurred upon laser excitation. it accompanied. It turns out that the fast excited state dynamics was responsible to the induced PT. For c-Si/SiO2 film, its NLO response comes from the contribution of charge carriers created by laser excitation in conduction band of the c-Si nanoparticles. It was verified by introducing Eu3+ which is often used as a probe sensing the environment variations. It turns out that the entire excited state dynamical process associated with the creation, movement and trapping of the charge carriers has a characteristic 500 ps duration.

Post-Annealing Effects on Surface Morphological, Electrical and Optical Properties of Nanostructured Cr-Doped CdO Thin Films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hymavathi, B.; Rajesh Kumar, B.; Subba Rao, T.

2018-01-01

Nanostructured Cr-doped CdO thin films were deposited on glass substrates by reactive direct current magnetron sputtering and post-annealed in vacuum from 200°C to 500°C. X-ray diffraction studies confirmed that the films exhibit cubic nature with preferential orientation along the (111) plane. The crystallite size, lattice parameters, unit cell volume and strain in the films were determined from x-ray diffraction analysis. The surface morphology of the films has been characterized by field emission scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy. The electrical properties of the Cr-doped CdO thin films were measured by using a four-probe method and Hall effect system. The lowest electrical resistivity of 2.20 × 10-4 Ω cm and a maximum optical transmittance of 88% have been obtained for the thin films annealed at 500°C. The optical band gap of the films decreased from 2.77 eV to 2.65 eV with the increase of annealing temperature. The optical constants, packing density and porosity of Cr-doped CdO thin films were also evaluated from the transmittance spectra.

Thickness and annealing effects on thermally evaporated InZnO thin films for gas sensors and blue, green and yellow emissive optical devices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sugumaran, Sathish; Jamlos, Mohd Faizal; Ahmad, Mohd Noor; Bellan, Chandar Shekar; Sivaraj, Manoj

2016-08-01

Indium zinc oxide (InZnO) thin films with thicknesses of 100 nm and 200 nm were deposited on glass plate by thermal evaporation technique. Fourier transform infrared spectra showed a strong metal-oxide bond. X-ray diffraction patterns revealed amorphous nature for as-deposited film whereas polycrystalline structure for annealed films. Scanning electron microscope images showed a uniform distribution of spherical shape grains. Grain size was found to be higher for 200 nm film than 100 nm film. The presence of elements (In, Zn and O) was confirmed from energy dispersive X-ray analysis. Photoluminescence study of 200 nm film showed a blue, blue-green and blue-yellow emission whereas 100 nm film showed a broad green and green-yellow emissions. Both 100 nm and 200 nm films showed good oxygen sensitivity from room temperature to 400 °C. The observed optical and sensor results indicated that the prepared InZnO films are highly potential for room temperature gas sensor and blue, green and yellow emissive opto-electronic devices.

Effect of precursor on epitaxially grown of ZnO thin film on p-GaN/sapphire (0 0 0 1) substrate by hydrothermal technique

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sahoo, Trilochan; Ju, Jin-Woo; Kannan, V.

2008-03-04

Single crystalline ZnO thin film on p-GaN/sapphire (0 0 0 1) substrate, using two different precursors by hydrothermal route at a temperature of 90 deg. C were successfully grown. The effect of starting precursor on crystalline nature, surface morphology and optical emission of the films were studied. ZnO thin films were grown in aqueous solution of zinc acetate and zinc nitrate. X-ray diffraction analysis revealed that all the thin films were single crystalline in nature and exhibited wurtzite symmetry and c-axis orientation. The thin films obtained with zinc nitrate had a more pitted rough surface morphology compared to the filmmore » grown in zinc acetate. However the thickness of the films remained unaffected by the nature of the starting precursor. Sharp luminescence peaks were observed from the thin films almost at identical energies but deep level emission was slightly prominent for the thin film grown in zinc nitrate.« less

Thickness dependent structural, optical and electrical properties of Se85In12Bi3 nanochalcogenide thin films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tripathi, Ravi P.; Zulfequar, M.; Khan, Shamshad A.

2018-04-01

Our aim is to study the thickness dependent effects on structure, electrical and optical properties of Se85In12Bi3 nanochalcogenide thin films. Bulk alloy of Se85In12Bi3 was synthesized by melt-quenching technique. The amorphous as well as glassy nature of Se85In12Bi3 chalcogenide was confirmed by non-isothermal Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) measurements. The nanochalcogenide thin films of thickness 30, 60 and 90 nm were prepared on glass/Si wafer substrate using Physical Vapour Condensation Technique (PVCT). From XRD studies it was found that thin films have amorphous texture. The surface morphology and particle size of films were studied by Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope (FESEM). From optical studies, different optical parameters were estimated for Se85In12Bi3 thin films at different thickness. It was found that the absorption coefficient (α) and extinction coefficient (k) increases with photon energy and decreases with film thickness. The optical absorption process followed the rule of indirect transitions and optical band gap were found to be increase with film thickness. The value of Urbach energy (Et) and steepness parameter (σ) were also calculated for different film thickness. For electrical studies, dc-conductivity measurement was done at different temperature and activation energy (ΔEc) were determined and found to be increase with film thickness.

Synthesis and Characterization of Molybdenum Doped ZnO Thin Films by SILAR Deposition Method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Radha, R.; Sakthivelu, A.; Pradhabhan, D.

2016-08-01

Molybdenum (Mo) doped zinc oxide (ZnO) thin films were deposited on the glass substrate by Successive Ionic Layer Adsorption and Reaction (SILAR) deposition method. The effect of Mo dopant concentration of 5, 6.6 and 10 mol% on the structural, morphological, optical and electrical properties of n-type Mo doped ZnO films was studied. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) results confirmed that the Mo doped ZnO thin films were polycrystalline with wurtzite structure. The field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) studies shows that the surface morphology of the films changes with Mo doping. A blue shift of the optical band gap was observed in the optical studies. Effect of Mo dopant concentration on electrical conductivity was studied and it shows comparatively high electrical conductivity at 10 mol% of Mo doping concentration.

Synthesis, characterization and oxidation of metallic cobalt (Co) thin film into semiconducting cobalt oxide (Co3O4)thin film using microwave plasma CVD

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rahman Ansari, Akhalakur; Hussain, Shahir; Imran, Mohd; Abdel-wahab, M. Sh; Alshahrie, Ahmed

2018-06-01

The pure cobalt thin film was deposited on the glass substrate by using DC magnetron sputtering and then exposed to microwave assist oxygen plasma generated in microwave plasma CVD. The oxidation process of Co thin film into Co3O4 thin films with different microwave power and temperature were studied. The influences of microwave power, temperature and irradiation time were investigated on the morphology and particle size of oxide thin films. The crystal structure, chemical conformation, morphologies and optical properties of oxidized Co thin films (Co3O4) were studied by using x-ray diffraction (XRD), Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), Raman Spectroscopy and UV–vis Spectroscopy. The data of these films showed complete oxidation pure metallic cobalt (Co) into cobalt oxide (Co3O4). The optical properties were studied for calculating the direct band gaps which ranges from 1.35 to 1.8 eV.

Thermoluminescent properties of nanocrystalline ZnTe thin films: Structural and morphological studies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rajpal, Shashikant; Kumar, S. R.

2018-04-01

Zinc Telluride (ZnTe) is a binary II-VI direct band gap semiconducting material with cubic structure and having potential applications in different opto-electronic devices. Here we investigated the effects of annealing on the thermoluminescence (TL) of ZnTe thin films. A nanocrystalline ZnTe thin film was successfully electrodeposited on nickel substrate and the effect of annealing on structural, morphological, and optical properties were studied. The TL emission spectrum of as deposited sample is weakly emissive in UV region at ∼328 nm. The variation in the annealing temperature results into sharp increase in emission intensity at ∼328 nm along with appearance of a new peak at ∼437 nm in visible region. Thus, the deposited nanocrystalline ZnTe thin films exhibited excellent thermoluminescent properties upon annealing. Furthermore, the influence of annealing (annealed at 400 °C) on the solid state of ZnTe were also studied by XRD, SEM, EDS, AFM. It is observed that ZnTe thin film annealed at 400 °C after deposition provide a smooth and flat texture suited for optoelectronic applications.

Effect of copper and nickel doping on the optical and structural properties of ZnO

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Muǧlu, G. Merhan; Sarıtaş, S.; ćakıcı, T.; Şakar, B.; Yıldırım, M.

2017-02-01

The present study is focused on the Cu doped ZnO and Ni doped ZnO dilute magnetic semiconductor thin films. ZnO:Cu and ZnO:Ni thin films were grown by Chemically Spray Pyrolysis (CSP) method on glass substrates. Optical analysis of the films was done spectral absorption and transmittance measurements by UV-Vis double beam spectrophotometer technique. The structure, morphology, topology and elemental analysis of ZnO:Cu and ZnO:Ni dilute magnetic thin films were investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman Analysis, field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), atomic force microscopy (AFM) techniques, respectively. Also The magnetic properties of the ZnO:Ni thin film was investigated by vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM) method. VSM measurements of ZnO:Ni thin film showed that the ferromagnetic behavior.

Synthesis and characterization of photoconducting (Cd:Zn)S thin films by hydrothermal assisted chemical bath deposition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mathew, Joissy; Devasia, Sebin; Anila, E. I.

2018-04-01

We report the synthesis of polycrystalline ternary (Cd:Zn)S thin films by hydrothermal assisted chemical bath deposition on glass substrates. X-ray diffraction reveals the hexagonal phase of cadmium zinc sulphide (CZS) film with preferred orientation along the (002) plane and the average grain size to be 22.78 nm. SEM image shows clusters of nano fibers grown on the film. The optical band gap obtained from the optical absorption studies using UV-Vis-NIR spectroscopy is 3.4 eV. Broad and asymmetric emission due to the combination of near band edge emission and emission fromintrinsic point defects was observed in the PL spectrum. The filmexhibit photo conductivity under illumination by light from 32 watts halogen bulb. In dark condition, the I-V curve shows non-linear behavior, whereas ohmic behavior under illumination. The Photo response of film was recorded for the light-on and light-off conditions at intervals of 100 seconds when 10V voltage was applied. We observed fast rise and decay of the photocurrent depicting high photosensitivity. This work present a simple way to obtain photo-detectors and will benefit in optical-electron devices manufacture.

Transparent Conducting Mo-Doped CdO Thin Films by Spray Pyrolysis Method for Solar Cell Applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Helen, S. J.; Devadason, Suganthi; Haris, M.; Mahalingam, T.

2018-04-01

Pure and 3%, 5%, and 7% molybdenum-doped cadmium oxide (CdO) thin films have been prepared on glass substrates preheated to 400°C using a spray pyrolysis technique, then analyzed using x-ray diffraction analysis, field-emission scanning electron microscopy, ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy, and photoluminescence and Hall measurements. The films were found to have polycrystalline nature with cubic structure. The crystallite size was calculated to be ˜ 12 nm for various doping concentrations. Doping improved the optical transparency of the CdO thin film, with the 5% Mo-doped film recording the highest transmittance in the optical region. The energy bandgap deduced from optical studies ranged from 2.38 eV and 2.44 eV for different Mo doping levels. The electrical conductivity was enhanced on Mo doping, with the highest conductivity of 1.74 × 103 (Ω cm)-1 being achieved for the 5% Mo-doped CdO thin film.

Nanoporous structures on ZnO thin films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gür, Emre; Kılıç, Bayram; Coşkun, C.; Tüzemen, S.; Bayrakçeken, Fatma

2010-01-01

Porous structures were formed on ZnO thin films which were grown by an electrochemical deposition (ECD) method. The growth processes were carried out in a solution of dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) zinc perchlorate, Zn(ClO 4) 2, at 120 ∘C on indium tin oxide (ITO) substrates. Optical and structural characterizations of electrochemically grown ZnO thin films have shown that the films possess high (0002) c-axis orientation, high nucleation, high intensity and low FWHM of UV emission at the band edge region and a sharp UV absorption edge. Nanoporous structures were formed via self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) of hexanethiol (C 6SH) and dodecanethiol (C 12SH). Scanning electron microscope (SEM) measurements showed that while a nanoporous structure (pore radius 20 nm) is formed on the ZnO thin films by hexanathiol solution, a macroporous structure (pore radius 360 nm) is formed by dodecanethiol solution. No significant variation is observed in X-ray diffraction (XRD) measurements on the ZnO thin films after pore formation. However, photoluminescence (PL) measurements showed that green emission is observed as the dominant emission for the macroporous structures, while no variation is observed for the thin film nanoporous ZnO sample.

Synthesis and Characterization of High c-axis ZnO Thin Film by Plasma Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition System and its UV Photodetector Application

PubMed Central

Chao, Chung-Hua; Wei, Da-Hua

2015-01-01

In this study, zinc oxide (ZnO) thin films with high c-axis (0002) preferential orientation have been successfully and effectively synthesized onto silicon (Si) substrates via different synthesized temperatures by using plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) system. The effects of different synthesized temperatures on the crystal structure, surface morphologies and optical properties have been investigated. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns indicated that the intensity of (0002) diffraction peak became stronger with increasing synthesized temperature until 400 oC. The diffraction intensity of (0002) peak gradually became weaker accompanying with appearance of (10-10) diffraction peak as the synthesized temperature up to excess of 400 oC. The RT photoluminescence (PL) spectra exhibited a strong near-band-edge (NBE) emission observed at around 375 nm and a negligible deep-level (DL) emission located at around 575 nm under high c-axis ZnO thin films. Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) images revealed the homogeneous surface and with small grain size distribution. The ZnO thin films have also been synthesized onto glass substrates under the same parameters for measuring the transmittance. For the purpose of ultraviolet (UV) photodetector application, the interdigitated platinum (Pt) thin film (thickness ~100 nm) fabricated via conventional optical lithography process and radio frequency (RF) magnetron sputtering. In order to reach Ohmic contact, the device was annealed in argon circumstances at 450 oC by rapid thermal annealing (RTA) system for 10 min. After the systematic measurements, the current-voltage (I-V) curve of photo and dark current and time-dependent photocurrent response results exhibited a good responsivity and reliability, indicating that the high c-axis ZnO thin film is a suitable sensing layer for UV photodetector application. PMID:26484561

Morphological, elemental, and optical characterization of plasma polymerized n-butyl methacrylate thin films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nasrin, Rahima; Hossain, Khandker S.; Bhuiyan, A. H.

2018-05-01

Plasma polymerized n-butyl methacrylate (PPnBMA) thin films of varying thicknesses were prepared at room temperature by AC plasma polymerization system using a capacitively coupled parallel plate reactor. Field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) analysis, and ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) spectroscopic investigation have been performed to study the morphological, elemental, and optical properties of the PPnBMA thin films, respectively. The flat and defect-free nature of thin films were confirmed by FESEM and AFM images. With declining plasma power, average roughness and root mean square roughness increase. Allowed direct transition ( E gd) and indirect transition ( E gi) energy gaps were found to be 3.64-3.80 and 3.38-3.45 eV, respectively, for PPnBMA thin films of different thicknesses. Values of E gd as well as E gi increase with the increase of thickness. The extinction coefficient, Urbach energy, and steepness parameter were also determined for these thin films.

Symbiotic Stars in X-rays. II. Faint Sources Detected with XMM-Newton and Chandra

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nunez, N. E.; Luna, G. J. M.; Pillitteri, I.; Mukai, K.

2014-01-01

We report the detection from four symbiotic stars that were not known to be X-ray sources. These four object show a ß-type X-ray spectrum, that is, their spectra can be modeled with an absorbed optically thin thermal emission with temperatures of a few million degrees. Photometric series obtained with the Optical Monitor on board XMM-Newton from V2416 Sgr and NSV 25735 support the proposed scenario where the X-ray emission is produced in a shock-heated region inside the symbiotic nebulae.

Temperature profile determination in an absorbing plasma.

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Usher, J. L.; Campbell, H. D.

1972-01-01

A new method has been developed to determine the temperature profile of an optically-non-thin plasma. The technique is essentially an extension of the brightness-emissivity method to the case of a cylindrically-symmetric plasma.

Black phosphorus-based one-dimensional photonic crystals and microcavities.

PubMed

Kriegel, Ilka; Toffanin, Stefano; Scotognella, Francesco

2016-11-10

The latest achievements in the fabrication of thin layers of black phosphorus (BP), toward the technological breakthrough of a phosphorene atomically thin layer, are paving the way for their use in electronics, optics, and optoelectronics. In this work, we have simulated the optical properties of one-dimensional photonic structures, i.e., photonic crystals and microcavities, in which few-layer BP is one of the components. The insertion of the 5-nm black phosphorous layers leads to a photonic band gap in the photonic crystals and a cavity mode in the microcavity that is interesting for light manipulation and emission enhancement.

Coherent fluorescence emission by using hybrid photonic–plasmonic crystals

PubMed Central

Shi, Lei; Yuan, Xiaowen; Zhang, Yafeng; Hakala, Tommi; Yin, Shaoyu; Han, Dezhuan; Zhu, Xiaolong; Zhang, Bo; Liu, Xiaohan; Törmä, Päivi; Lu, Wei; Zi, Jian

2014-01-01

The spatial and temporal coherence of the fluorescence emission controlled by a quasi-two-dimensional hybrid photonic–plasmonic crystal structure covered with a thin fluorescent-molecular-doped dielectric film is investigated experimentally. A simple theoretical model to describe how a confined quasi-two-dimensional optical mode may induce coherent fluorescence emission is also presented. Concerning the spatial coherence, it is experimentally observed that the coherence area in the plane of the light source is in excess of 49 μm2, which results in enhanced directional fluorescence emission. Concerning temporal coherence, the obtained coherence time is 4 times longer than that of the normal fluorescence emission in vacuum. Moreover, a Young's double-slit interference experiment is performed to directly confirm the spatially coherent emission. This smoking gun proof of spatial coherence is reported here for the first time for the optical-mode-modified emission. PMID:25793015

Combined electrical and resonant optical excitation characterization of multi-quantum well InGaN-based light-emitting diodes

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Presa, S., E-mail: silvino.presa@tyndall.ie; School of Engineering, University College Cork, Cork; Maaskant, P. P.

We present a comprehensive study of the emission spectra and electrical characteristics of InGaN/GaN multi-quantum well light-emitting diode (LED) structures under resonant optical pumping and varying electrical bias. A 5 quantum well LED with a thin well (1.5 nm) and a relatively thick barrier (6.6 nm) shows strong bias-dependent properties in the emission spectra, poor photovoltaic carrier escape under forward bias and an increase in effective resistance when compared with a 10 quantum well LED with a thin (4 nm) barrier. These properties are due to a strong piezoelectric field in the well and associated reduced field in the thickermore » barrier. We compare the voltage ideality factors for the LEDs under electrical injection, light emission with current, photovoltaic mode (PV) and photoluminescence (PL) emission. The PV and PL methods provide similar values for the ideality which are lower than for the resistance-limited electrical method. Under optical pumping the presence of an n-type InGaN underlayer in a commercial LED sample is shown to act as a second photovoltaic source reducing the photovoltage and the extracted ideality factor to less than 1. The use of photovoltaic measurements together with bias-dependent spectrally resolved luminescence is a powerful method to provide valuable insights into the dynamics of GaN LEDs.« less

Effect of annealing temperature on the structural and optical properties of CeO{sub 2}:Ni thin films

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Murugan, R.; Vijayaprasath, G.; Sakthivel, P.

2016-05-06

High quality Ni-doped CeO{sub 2} (CeO{sub 2}:Ni) thin films were deposited on glass substrates at room temperature by using radio frequency magnetron sputtering. The effect of annealing temperature on structural and optical properties of the CeO{sub 2}:Ni films was investigated. The structural, optical and vibrational properties of the films were determined using X-ray diffraction (XRD), photoluminescence spectrometer (PL) and Raman spectrometer. It was found that the as-deposited film has a fluorite cubic structure. By increasing annealing temperature from 100°C to 300°C, the crystalline quality of the thin films could be improved. The UV and visible band emissions were observed inmore » the photoluminescence spectra, due to exciton, defect related emissions respectively. The micro-Raman results show the characteristic peak of CeO{sub 2} F{sub 2g} at 465 cm{sup −1} and 2L0 at 1142 cm{sup −1}. Defect peaks like D and 0 bands were observed at 641 cm{sup −1} and 548 cm{sup −1} respectively. It is found from the spectra that the peak intensity of the films increased with increase of annealing temperature.« less

DustEM: Dust extinction and emission modelling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Compiègne, M.; Verstraete, L.; Jones, A.; Bernard, J.-P.; Boulanger, F.; Flagey, N.; Le Bourlot, J.; Paradis, D.; Ysard, N.

2013-07-01

DustEM computes the extinction and the emission of interstellar dust grains heated by photons. It is written in Fortran 95 and is jointly developed by IAS and CESR. The dust emission is calculated in the optically thin limit (no radiative transfer) and the default spectral range is 40 to 108 nm. The code is designed so dust properties can easily be changed and mixed and to allow for the inclusion of new grain physics.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Fleddermann, C.B.

The sputter deposition of high-temperature superconducting thin films was studied using optical emission spectroscopy. Argon or oxygen ions generated by a Kaufman ion gun were used to sputter material from a composite target containing yttrium, barium, and copper which had been oxygen annealed. The impact of ions onto the target generates a plume of sputtered material which includes various excited-state atoms and molecules. In these studies, optical emission is detected for all the metallic components of the film as well as for metallic oxides ejected from the target. No emission due to atomic or molecular oxygen was detected, however. Variationsmore » in sputter conditions such as changes in sputter ion energy, oxygen content of the beam, and target temperature are shown to greatly affect the emission intensity, which may correlate to the characteristics of the sputtering and the quality of the films deposited. The results suggest that optical emission from the sputtered material may be useful for real-time monitoring and control of the sputter deposition process.« less

Application of band-target entropy minimization to infrared emission spectroscopy and the reconstruction of pure component emissivities from thin films and liquid samples.

PubMed

Cheng, Shuying; Rajarathnam, D; Meiling, Tan; Garland, Marc

2006-05-01

Thermal emission spectral data sets were collected for a thin solid film (parafilm) and a thin liquid film (isopropanol) on the interval of 298-348 K. The measurements were performed using a conventional Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectrometer with external optical bench and in-house-designed emission cell. Both DTGS and MCT detectors were used. The data sets were analyzed with band-target entropy minimization (BTEM), which is a pure component spectral reconstruction program. Pure component emissivities of the parafilm, isopropanol, and thermal background were all recovered without any a priori information. Furthermore, the emissivities were obtained with increased signal-to-noise ratios, and the signals due to absorbance of thermal radiation by gas-phase moisture and CO2 were significantly reduced. As expected, the MCT results displayed better signal-to-noise ratios than the DTGS results, but the latter results were still rather impressive given the low temperatures used in this study. Comparison is made with spectral reconstruction using the orthogonal projection approach-alternating least squares (OPA-ALS) technique. This contribution introduces the primary equation for emission spectral reconstruction using BTEM and discusses some of the unusual characteristics of thermal emission and their impact on the analysis.

Realizing luminescent downshifting in ZnO thin films by Ce doping with enhancement of photocatalytic activity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Narayanan, Nripasree; Deepak, N. K.

2018-04-01

ZnO thin films doped with Ce at different concentration were deposited on glass substrates by spray pyrolysis technique. XRD analysis revealed the phase purity and polycrystalline nature of the films with hexagonal wurtzite geometry and the composition analysis confirmed the incorporation of Ce in the ZnO lattice in the case of doped films. Crystalline quality and optical transmittance diminished while electrical conductivity enhanced with Ce doping. Ce doping resulted in a red-shift of optical energy gap due to the downshift of the conduction band minimum after merging with Ce related impurity bands formed below the conduction band in the forbidden gap. In the room temperature photoluminescence spectra, UV emission intensity of the doped films decreased while the intensity of the visible emission band increased drastically implying the degradation in crystallinity as well as the incorporation of defect levels capable of luminescence downshifting. Ce doping showed improvement in photocatalytic efficiency by effectively trapping the free carriers and then transferring for dye degradation. Thus Ce doped ZnO thin films are capable of acting as luminescent downshifters as well as efficient photocatalysts.

Thermospheric O I 844.6-nm emission in twilight

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bahsoun-Hamade, F.; Wiens, R. H.; Shepherd, G. G.; Richards, P. G.

1994-01-01

The thermospheric O I 844.6-nm column emission rate was measured over Toronto, a midlatitude station, in the autumn of 1991 using an imaging Fabry-Perot spectrometer. Twilight decay curves were measured on four clear evenings when the solar zenith angle was between 95 degs and 104 degs, giving corresponding column emission rates between 874 R and 130 R at 20 degs elevation angle in the azimuth of the Sun. The expected decay curves were calculated from the field line interhemisperic plasma model assuming only photoelectron impact excitation as the production mechanism with a cross section appropriate to an optically thin atmosphere. The agreement was good when the solar and geomagnetic activity levels were low to moderate, but the emission rate was overestimated during high activity periods. The comparison indicates that the photoelectron impact mechanism with a thin-atmosphere cross section is sufficient to explain the twilight decay of the thermospheric O I 844.6-nm emission.

Optical Anisotropy and Waveguiding in Thin Films of a Conjugated Polymer Which Exhibits Stimulated Emission.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miller, E. Kirk; McGehee, Michael; Diaz-Garcia, Maria; Srikant, V.; Heeger, Alan J.

1998-03-01

We report variable angle spectroscopic ellipsometry (VASE) measurements on thin films of poly(2-butyl-5(2-ethyl-hexyl)-1,4- phenylenevinylene) (BuEH-PPV) in the spectral region below the electronic absorption edge. We find that the films are best described as uniaxially anisotropic, with the optical axis perpendicular to the plane of the film, consistent with the notion that the polymer chains lie preferentially in the plane of the film. Due to the anisotropic distribution of chromophores, the in-plane index of refraction is found to be significantly higher and more dispersive than the out-of- plane index, implying a higher effective index for transverse-electric (TE) waveguide modes than for the corresponding transverse- magnetic (TM) modes. The implications of these data for amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) experiments and in-plane laser structures are discussed.

Effect of thickness on surface morphology, optical and humidity sensing properties of RF magnetron sputtered CCTO thin films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ahmadipour, Mohsen; Ain, Mohd Fadzil; Ahmad, Zainal Arifin

2016-11-01

In this study, calcium copper titanate (CCTO) thin films were deposited on ITO substrates successfully by radio frequency (RF) magnetron sputtering method in argon atmosphere. The CCTO thin films present a polycrystalline, uniform and porous structure. The surface morphology, optical and humidity sensing properties of the synthesized CCTO thin films have been studied by X-ray diffraction (XRD), atomic force microscopy (AFM), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), UV-vis spectrophotometer and current-voltage (I-V) analysis. XRD and AFM confirmed that the intensity of peaks and pore size of CCTO thin films were enhanced by increasing the thin films. Tauc plot method was adopted to estimate the optical band gaps. The surface structure and energy band gaps of the deposited films were affected by film thickness. Energy band gap of the layers were 3.76 eV, 3.68 eV and 3.5 eV for 200 nm, 400 nm, and 600 nm CCTO thin films layer, respectively. The humidity sensing properties were measured by using direct current (DC) analysis method. The response times were 12 s, 22 s, and 35 s while the recovery times were 500 s, 600 s, and 650 s for 200 nm, 400 nm, and 600 nm CCTO thin films, respectively at humidity range of 30-90% relative humidity (RH).

Analysis of structural and optical properties of annealed fullerene thin films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

El-Nahass, M. M.; Ali, H. A. M.; Gadallah, A.-S.; Atta Khedr, M.; Afify, H. A.

2015-08-01

Fullerene thin films were thermally deposited onto different substrates. The films annealed at 523 K for 10 h. X-ray diffraction technique was used to examine the structure of the films. The morphology of films was examined by field emission scanning electron microscopy. Fourier transform infrared spectra were recorded in wavenumber range 400-2000 cm-1. The optical characteristics were analyzed using UV- Vis-NIR spectrophotometric measurements in the spectral range 200-2500 nm. The refractive index and extinction coefficient were determined. Some dispersion parameters were calculated such as single oscillator energy, dispersion energy, dielectric constant at high frequency and lattice dielectric constant. As well as, the nonlinear optical susceptibility χ(3) and nonlinear refractive index n2 were determined.

Development of plasma assisted thermal vapor deposition technique for high-quality thin film.

PubMed

Lee, Kang-Il; Choi, Yong Sup; Park, Hyun Jae

2016-12-01

The novel technique of Plasma-Assisted Vapor Deposition (PAVD) is developed as a new deposition method for thin metal films. The PAVD technique yields a high-quality thin film without any heating of the substrate because evaporated particles acquire energy from plasma that is confined to the inside of the evaporation source. Experiments of silver thin film deposition have been carried out in conditions of pressure lower than 10 -3 Pa. Pure silver plasma generation is verified by the measurement of the Ag-I peak using optical emission spectroscopy. A four point probe and a UV-VIS spectrophotometer are used to measure the electrical and optical properties of the silver film that is deposited by PAVD. For an ultra-thin silver film with a thickness of 6.5 nm, we obtain the result of high-performance silver film properties, including a sheet resistance <20 Ω sq -1 and a visible-range transmittance >75%. The PAVD-film properties show a low sheet resistance of 30% and the same transmittance with conventional thermal evaporation film. In the PAVD source, highly energetic particles and UV from plasma do not reach the substrate because the plasma is completely shielded by the optimized nozzle of the crucible. This new PAVD technique could be a realistic solution to improve the qualities of transparent electrodes for organic light emission device fabrication without causing damage to the organic layers.

Development of plasma assisted thermal vapor deposition technique for high-quality thin film

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Kang-Il; Choi, Yong Sup; Park, Hyun Jae

2016-12-01

The novel technique of Plasma-Assisted Vapor Deposition (PAVD) is developed as a new deposition method for thin metal films. The PAVD technique yields a high-quality thin film without any heating of the substrate because evaporated particles acquire energy from plasma that is confined to the inside of the evaporation source. Experiments of silver thin film deposition have been carried out in conditions of pressure lower than 10-3 Pa. Pure silver plasma generation is verified by the measurement of the Ag-I peak using optical emission spectroscopy. A four point probe and a UV-VIS spectrophotometer are used to measure the electrical and optical properties of the silver film that is deposited by PAVD. For an ultra-thin silver film with a thickness of 6.5 nm, we obtain the result of high-performance silver film properties, including a sheet resistance <20 Ω sq-1 and a visible-range transmittance >75%. The PAVD-film properties show a low sheet resistance of 30% and the same transmittance with conventional thermal evaporation film. In the PAVD source, highly energetic particles and UV from plasma do not reach the substrate because the plasma is completely shielded by the optimized nozzle of the crucible. This new PAVD technique could be a realistic solution to improve the qualities of transparent electrodes for organic light emission device fabrication without causing damage to the organic layers.

Thin film of polyelectrolyte complex nanoparticles for protein sensing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Talukdar, Hrishikesh; Kundu, Sarathi

2018-04-01

Polyelectrolyte complex nanoparticles (PEC NPs) are prepared using two polyelectrolytes poly(Na-4-styrene sulphonate) (PSS) and poly(diallyldimethylammoniumchloride) (PDADMAC) at a molar mixing ratio of n-/n+ ≈ 0.67 by consecutive centrifugation. PEC NPs formation is investigated through dynamic light scattering (DLS) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). Optical behaviors of PEC NPs in thin film confirmation are studied using UV-Vis and photoluminescence spectroscopy. Although absorption peaks of PSS occurs at the same position before and after the formation of PEC NPs but emission peaks are found at ≈ 278 and 305 nm whereas for pure PSS emission peaks exist at ≈ 295 and 365 nm. Hence, thin film of PEC NPs can be applied as very sensitive material for protein sensing since absorption of protein is occurred at ≈ 278 nm. Protein sensing behavior of such PEC NPs thin film is studied using photoluminescence spectroscopy.

Submillimeter heterodyne detection of interstellar carbon monoxide at 434 micrometers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fetterman, H. R.; Clifton, B. J.; Peck, D. D.; Tannenwald, P. E.; Koepf, G. A.; Goldsmith, P. F.; Erickson, N. R.; Buhl, D.; Mcavoy, N.

1981-01-01

Laser heterodyne observations of submillimeter emissions from carbon monoxide in the Orion molecular cloud are reported. High frequency and spatial resolution observations were made at the NASA Infrared Telescope Facility on Mauna Kea by the use of an optically pumped laser local oscillator and quasi-optical Schottky diode mixer for heterodyne detection of the J = 6 - 5 rotational transition of CO at 434 microns. Spectral analysis of the 434-micron emission indicates that the emitting gas is optically thin and is at a temperature above 180 K. Results thus demonstrate the potential contributions of ground-based high-resolution submillimeter astronomy to the study of active regions in interstellar molecular clouds.

Synthesis, characterization, and photocatalytic properties of nanocrystalline NZO thin films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aryanto, D.; Hastuti, E.; Husniya, N.; Sudiro, T.; Nuryadin, B. W.

2018-03-01

Nanocrystalline Ni-doped ZnO (NZO) thin films were synthesized on glass substrate using sol-gel spin coating methods. The effect of annealing on the structural and optical properties of nanocrystalline thin film was studied using X-ray diffractometer (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), UV-VIS spectrophotometry, and photoluminescence (PL). The results showed that the annealing temperature strongly influenced the physical properties of nanocrystalline NZO thin films. The photocatalytic properties of nanocrystalline NZO thin films were evaluated using an aqueous solution of Rhodamine-B. The photocatalytic activity of nanocrystalline NZO thin films increased with the increase of annealing temperature. The results indicated that the structure, morphology, and band gap energy of nanocrystalline NZO thin films played an important role in photocatalytic activity.

Synthesis, characterization and optical properties of ATiO{sub 3}–Pr thin films prepared by a photochemical method (where A = Ba and Ca)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Cabello, G., E-mail: gerardocabelloguzman@hotmail.com; Lillo, L.; Caro, C.

2015-10-15

Highlights: • A method of photochemical deposition has been used to the preparation of (Ba,Ca)TiO{sub 3} thin films doped Pr(III). • The (Ba,Ca)TiO{sub 3}/Pr(III) films under 375 nm excitation shows emissions attributable to {sup 1}D{sub 2} → {sup 3}H{sub 4} transition of Pr ion. • These PL signals decreased above 10 mol% of Pr(III). • Analysis suggests the presence of intermediate energy levels in the band gap influences in the PL processes. - Abstract: This article reports the characterization and optical properties of (Ba,Ca)TiO{sub 3} thin films doped with Pr at different proportions (0–15 mol%). The films were deposited onmore » Si (1 0 0) and quartz substrates using a photochemical method and post-annealed at 900 °C. The evaluation of photo-reactivity of the precursor complexes was monitored by UV–vis and FT-IR spectroscopy. The obtained films were characterized by X-ray diffraction and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The results indicate that Ba, Ca, Ti, O and Pr are present in the form of perovskite. Under UV light excitation (375 nm) the (Ba,Ca)TiO{sub 3}–Pr films show the characteristic emissions ascribed to {sup 1}D{sub 2} → {sup 3}H{sub 4} transition of Pr{sup 3+} ion. The optical measurements show the presence of intermediate energy levels in the band gap which influence the emission processes.« less

Enhancement of the Ultraviolet Photoresponsivity of Al-doped ZnO Thin Films Prepared by using the Sol-gel Spin-coating Method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Wookbin; Leem, Jae-Young

2018-03-01

We report the structural, morphological, optical, and ultraviolet (UV) photoresponse properties of Al-doped ZnO (AZO) thin films prepared on silicon substrates with different Al doping concentrations by using the sol-gel spin-coating method. An analysis of the X-ray diffraction patterns of the AZO thin films revealed that the average grain size decreased and the c-axis lattice constant increased with Al content. The field-emission scanning electron microscopy images showed that with Al doping, the grain size decreased, but the film density increased with increasing Al doping concentration from 0% to 3%. These results indicate that the surface area of the film increased with increasing Al doping. The absorbance spectra revealed that the UV absorbance of the AZO thin films increased with increasing Al doping concentration and that the absorption onset shifted towards lower energies. The photoluminescence spectra revealed that with increasing Al doping, the intensity of the visible emission greatly decreased and the visible emission peak shifted forward lower energy (a red shift). The UV sensor based on the AZO thin films exhibited a higher responsivity than that based on the undoped ZnO thin film. Therefore, this study provides a facile method for improving the photoresponsivity of UV sensors.

Properties of Cathodoluminescence for Cryogenic Applications of SiO2-based Space Observatory Optics and Coatings

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Evans, Amberly; Dennison, J.R.; Wilson, Gregory; Dekany, Justin; Bowers Charles W.; Meloy, Robert; Heaney, James B.

2013-01-01

Disordered thin film SiO2SiOx coatings undergoing electron-beam bombardment exhibit cathodoluminescence, which can produce deleterious stray background light in cryogenic space-based astronomical observatories exposed to high-energy electron fluxes from space plasmas. As future observatory missions push the envelope into more extreme environments and more complex and sensitive detection, a fundamental understanding of the dependencies of this cathodoluminescence becomes critical to meet performance objectives of these advanced space-based observatories. Measurements of absolute radiance and emission spectra as functions of incident electron energy, flux, and power typical of space environments are presented for thin (60-200 nm) SiO2SiOx optical coatings on reflective metal substrates over a range of sample temperatures (40-400 K) and emission wavelengths (260-5000 nm). Luminescent intensity and peak wavelengths of four distinct bands were observed in UVVISNIR emission spectra, ranging from 300 nm to 1000 nm. A simple model is proposed that describes the dependence of cathodoluminescence on irradiation time, incident flux and energy, sample thickness, and temperature.

Semiconducting Properties of Nanostructured Amorphous Carbon Thin Films Incorporated with Iodine by Thermal Chemical Vapor Deposition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kamaruzaman, Dayana; Ahmad, Nurfadzilah; Annuar, Ishak; Rusop, Mohamad

2013-11-01

Nanostructured iodine-post doped amorphous carbon (a-C:I) thin films were prepared from camphor oil using a thermal chemical vapor deposition (TCVD) technique at different doping temperatures. The structural properties of the films were studied by field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), Raman, and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) studies. FESEM and EDS studies showed successful iodine doping. FTIR and Raman studies showed that the a-C:I thin films consisted of a mixture of sp2- and sp3-bonded carbon atoms. The optical and electrical properties of a-C:I thin films were determined by UV-vis-NIR spectroscopy and current-voltage (I-V) measurement respectively. The optical band gap of a-C thin films decreased upon iodine doping. The highest electrical conductivity was found at 400 °C doping. Heterojunctions are confirmed by rectifying the I-V characteristics of an a-C:I/n-Si junction.

Optical and structural properties of amorphous Se x Te100- x aligned nanorods

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Al-Agel, Faisal A.

2013-12-01

In the present work, we report studies on optical and structural phenomenon in as-deposited thin films composed of aligned nanorods of amorphous Se x Te100- x ( x = 3, 6, 9, and 12). In structural studies, field emission scanning electron microscopic (FESEM) images suggest that these thin films contain high yield of aligned nanorods. These nanorods show a completely amorphous nature, which is verified by X-ray diffraction patterns of these thin films. Optical studies include the measurement of spectral dependence of absorption, reflection, and transmission of these thin films, respectively. On the basis of optical absorption data, a direct optical band gap is observed. This observation of a direct optical band gap in these nanorods is interesting as chalcogenides normally show an indirect band gap, and due to this reason, these materials could not become very popular for semiconducting devices. Therefore, this is an important report and will open up new directions for the application of these materials in semiconducting devices. The value of this optical band gap is found to decrease with the increase in selenium (Se) concentration. The reflection and absorption data are employed to estimate the values of optical constants (extinction coefficient ( k) and refractive index ( n)). From the spectral dependence of these optical constants, it is found that the values of refractive index ( n) increase, whereas the values of extinction coefficient ( k) decrease with the increase in photon energy. The real and imaginary parts of dielectric constants calculated with the values of extinction coefficient ( k) and refractive index ( n), are found to vary with photon energy and dopant concentration.

ZnS nanostructured thin-films deposited by successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Deshmukh, S. G.; Jariwala, Akshay; Agarwal, Anubha; Patel, Chetna; Panchal, A. K.; Kheraj, Vipul

2016-04-01

ZnS thin films were grown on glass substrate using successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction (SILAR) technique at room temperature. Aqueous solutions of ZnCl2 and Na2S were used as precursors. The X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), Raman spectroscopy and optical absorption measurements were applied to study the structural, surface morphology and optical properties of as-deposited ZnS thin films. The X-ray diffraction profiles revealed that ZnS thin films consist of crystalline grains with cubic phase. Spherical nano grains of random size and well covered on the glass substrate were observed from FESEM. The average grain size were found to be 77 nm, 100 nm and 124 nm for 20 cycles, 40 cycles and 60 cycles samples respectively. For 60 cycle sample, Raman spectra show two prominent peaks at 554 cm-1 and 1094 cm-1. The optical band gap values were found to be 3.76 eV, 3.72 eV and 3.67 eV for 20 cycle, 40 cycle and 60 cycle samples respectively.

Internal stress and opto-electronic properties of ZnO thin films deposited by reactive sputtering in various oxygen partial pressures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tuyaerts, Romain; Poncelet, Olivier; Raskin, Jean-Pierre; Proost, Joris

2017-10-01

In this article, we propose ZnO thin films as a suitable material for piezoresistors in transparent and flexible electronics. ZnO thin films have been deposited by DC reactive magnetron sputtering at room temperature at various oxygen partial pressures. All the films have a wurtzite structure with a strong (0002) texture measured by XRD and are almost stoichiometric as measured by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy. The effect of oxygen concentration on grain growth has been studied by in-situ multi-beam optical stress sensor, showing internal stress going from 350 MPa to -1.1 GPa. The transition between tensile and compressive stress corresponds to the transition between metallic and oxidized mode of reactive sputtering. This transition also induces a large variation in optical properties—from absorbent to transparent, and in the resistivity—from 4 × 10 - 2 Ω .cm to insulating. Finally, the piezoresistance of the thin film has been studied and showed a gauge factor (ΔR/R)/ɛ comprised between -5.8 and -8.5.

Annealing temperature effect on electrical properties of MEH-PPV thin film via spin coating method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Azhar, N. E. A.; Shariffudin, S. S.; Alrokayan, Salman A. H.; Khan, Haseeb A.; Rusop, M.

2018-05-01

Organic semiconductor has been discovered in different application devices such as organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs). Poly [2-methoxy-5(2' -ethylhexyloxy)-1, 4-phenylenevinylene), MEH-PPV widely used in this device because its ability to produce a good optical quality films. The MEH-PPV was prepared on glass substrate by spin coating method. The thin film was investigated at different annealing temperatures. The scanning electron micrographs (SEM) revealed that sample annealed at 50°C showed uniformity and less aggregation on morphology polymer thin film. Optical properties showed the intensities of visible emission increased as temperatures increased. The current-voltage (I-V) measurement revealed that the temperature of 50°C showed high conductive and it is suitable for optoelectronic device.

Interaction of the accretion flows in corona and disk near the black hole in active galactic nuclei

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meyer-Hofmeister, E.; Liu, B. F.; Qiao, E.

2017-11-01

Context. Accretion flows toward black holes can be of a quite different nature, described as an optically thick cool gas flow in a disk for high accretion rates or as a hot coronal optically thin gas flow for low accretion rates, possibly affected by outflowing gas. Aims: The detection of broad iron emission lines in active galactic nuclei (AGN) indicates the coexistence of corona and disk. The appearance and relative strength of such flows essentially depends on their interaction. Liu et al. suggested that condensation of gas from the corona to the disk allows to understand accretion flows of comparable strength of emission. Matter inflow due to gravitational capture of gas is important for the condensation process. We discuss observational features predicted by the model. Methods: Data from simultaneous observations of AGN with Swift's X-ray and UV-optical telescopes are compared with the theoretical predictions. Results: The frequent detection of broad iron Kα emission lines and the dependence of the emitted spectra on the Eddington ratio, described by the values of the photon index Γ and the two-point spectral index αox are in approximate agreement with the predictions of the condensation model; the latter, however, with a large scatter. The model further yields a coronal emission concentrated in a narrow inner region as is also deduced from the analysis of emissivity profiles. Conclusions: The accretion flows in bright AGN could be described by the accretion of stellar wind or interstellar medium and its condensation into a thin disk.

Stimulated emission and lasing from all-inorganic perovskite quantum dots

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sun, Handong; Wang, Yue; Li, Xiaoming; Haibo, Zeng

We present superior optical gain and lasing properties in a new class of emerging quantum materials, the colloidal all-inorganic cesium lead halide perovskite quantum dots (IPQDs) (CsPbX3, X = Cl, Br, I). Our result has indicated that such material system show combined merits of both colloidal quantum dots and halide perovskites. Low-threshold and ultrastable stimulated emission was demonstrated under atmospheric condition. The flexibility and advantageous optical gain properties of these CsPbX3 IPQDs were manifested by demonstration of an optically pumped micro-laser. The nonlinear optical properties including the multi-photon absorption and resultant photoluminescence of the CsPbX3 nanocrystals were investigated. A large two-photon absorption cross-section of up to ~1.2×105 GM is determined from 9 nm-sized CsPbBr3 nanocrystals. Moreover, low-threshold frequency-upconverted stimulated emission by two-photon absorption was observed from the thin films of close-packed CsPbBr3 nanocrystals. We further realize the three-photon pumped stimulated emission in green spectra range from colloidal IPQD.

A Multiwavelength Study of Cygnus X-1: The First Mid-Infrared Spectroscopic Detection of Compact Jets

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rahoui, Farid; Lee, Julia C.; Heinz, Sebastian; Hines, Dean C.; Pottschmidt, Katja; Wilms, Joern

2011-01-01

We report on a Spitzer/IRS (mid-infrared), RXTE /PCA+HEXTE (X-ray), and Ryle (radio) simultaneous multi-wavelength study of the micro quasar Cygnus X-I, which aimed at an investigation of the origin of its mid-infrared emission. Compact jets were present in two out of three observations, and we show that they strongly contribute to the mid-infrared continuum. During the first observation, we detect the spectral break - where the transition from the optically thick to the optically thin regime takes place - at about 2.9 x 10(exp 13) Hz. We then show that the jet's optically thin synchrotron emission accounts for the Cygnus X-1's emission beyond 400 keY, although it cannot alone explain its 3-200 keV continuum. A compact jet was also present during the second observation, but we do not detect the break, since it has likely shifted to higher frequencies. In contrast, the compact jet was absent during the last observation, and we show that the 5-30 micron mid-infrared continuum of Cygnus X-I stems from the blue supergiant companion star HD 226868. Indeed, the emission can then be understood as the combination of the photospheric Raleigh-Jeans tail and the bremsstrahlung from the expanding stellar wind. Moreover, the stellar wind is found to be clumpy, with a filling factor f(sub infinity) approx.= 0.09-0.10. Its bremsstrahlung emission is likely anti-correlated to the soft X-ray emission, suggesting an anticorrelation between the mass-loss and mass-accretion rates. Nevertheless, we do not detect any mid-infrared spectroscopic evidence of interaction between the jets and the Cygnus X-1's environment and/or companion star's stellar wind.

Correlated fast X-ray and optical variability in the black-hole candidate XTE J1118+480.

PubMed

Kanbach, G; Straubmeier, C; Spruit, H C; Belloni, T

2001-11-08

Black holes become visible when they accrete gas, a common source of which is a close stellar companion. The standard theory for this process (invoking a 'thin accretion disk') does not explain some spectacular phenomena associated with these systems, such as their X-ray variability and relativistic outflows, indicating some lack of understanding of the actual physical conditions. Simultaneous observations at multiple wavelengths can provide strong constraints on these conditions. Here we report simultaneous high-time-resolution X-ray and optical observations of the transient source XTE J1118+480, which show a strong but puzzling correlation between the emissions. The optical emission rises suddenly following an increase in the X-ray output, but with a dip 2-5 seconds in advance of the X-rays. This result is not easy to understand within the simplest model of the optical emission, where the light comes from reprocessed X-rays. It is probably more consistent with an earlier suggestion that the optical light is cyclosynchrotron emission that originates in a region about 20,000 km from the black hole. We propose that the time dependence is evidence for a relatively slow (<0.1c), magnetically controlled outflow.

Development of the α-IGZO/Ag/α-IGZO Triple-Layer Structure Films for the Application of Transparent Electrode.

PubMed

Chen, Kun-Neng; Yang, Cheng-Fu; Wu, Chia-Ching; Chen, Yu-Hsin

2017-02-24

We investigated the structural, optical, and electrical properties of amorphous IGZO/silver/amorphous IGZO (α-IGZO/Ag/α-IGZO) triple-layer structures that were deposited at room temperature on Eagle XG glass and flexible polyethylene terephthalate substrates through the sputtering method. Thin Ag layers with different thicknesses were inserted between two IGZO layers to form a triple-layer structure. Ag was used because of its lower absorption and resistivity. Field emission scanning electron microscopy measurements of the triple-layer structures revealed that the thicknesses of the Ag layers ranged from 13 to 41 nm. The thickness of the Ag layer had a large effect on the electrical and optical properties of the electrodes. The optimum thickness of the Ag metal thin film could be evaluated according to the optical transmittance, electrical conductivity, and figure of merit of the electrode. This study demonstrates that the α-IGZO/Ag/α-IGZO triple-layer transparent electrode can be fabricated with low sheet resistance (4.2 Ω/□) and high optical transmittance (88.1%) at room temperature without postannealing processing on the deposited thin films.

Modelling blazar flaring using a time-dependent fluid jet emission model - an explanation for orphan flares and radio lags

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Potter, William J.

2018-01-01

Blazar jets are renowned for their rapid violent variability and multiwavelength flares, however, the physical processes responsible for these flares are not well understood. In this paper, we develop a time-dependent inhomogeneous fluid jet emission model for blazars. We model optically thick radio flares for the first time and show that they are delayed with respect to the prompt optically thin emission by ∼months to decades, with a lag that increases with the jet power and observed wavelength. This lag is caused by a combination of the travel time of the flaring plasma to the optically thin radio emitting sections of the jet and the slow rise time of the radio flare. We predict two types of flares: symmetric flares - with the same rise and decay time, which occur for flares whose duration is shorter than both the radiative lifetime and the geometric path-length delay time-scale; extended flares - whose luminosity tracks the power of particle acceleration in the flare, which occur for flares with a duration longer than both the radiative lifetime and geometric delay. Our model naturally produces orphan X-ray and γ-ray flares. These are caused by flares that are only observable above the quiescent jet emission in a narrow band of frequencies. Our model is able to successfully fit to the observed multiwavelength flaring spectra and light curves of PKS1502+106 across all wavelengths, using a transient flaring front located within the broad-line region.

Synthesis of galium nitride thin films using sol-gel dip coating method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hamid, Maizatul Akmam Ab; Ng, Sha Shiong

2017-12-01

In this research, gallium nitride (GaN) thin film were grown on silicon (Si) substrate by a low-cost sol-gel dip coating deposition method. The GaN precursor solution was prepared using gallium (III) nitrate hydrate powder, ethanol and diethanolamine as a starting material, solvent and surfactant respectively. The structural, morphological and optical characteristics of the deposited GaN thin film were investigated. Field-emission scanning electron microscopy observations showed that crack free and dense grains GaN thin films were formed. Energy dispersive X-ray analysis confirmed that the oxygen content in the deposited films was low. X-ray diffraction results revealed that deposited GaN thin films have hexagonal wurtzite structure.

Investigation of the structural, surface, optical and electrical properties of the Indium doped CuxO thin films deposited by a thermionic vacuum arc

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Musaoğlu, Caner; Pat, Suat; Özen, Soner; Korkmaz, Şadan; Mohammadigharehbagh, Reza

2018-03-01

In this study, investigation of some physical properties of In-doped CuxO thin films onto amorphous glass substrates were done. The thin films were depsoied by thermionic vacuum arc technique (TVA). TVA technique gives a thin film with lower precursor impurity according to the other chemical and physical depsoition methods. The microstructural properties of the produced thin films was determined by x-ray diffraction device (XRD). The thickness values were measured as to be 30 nm and 60 nm, respectively. The miller indices of the thin films’ crystalline planes were determined as to be Cu (111), CuO (\\bar{1} 12), CuInO2 (107) and Cu2O (200), Cu (111), CuO (\\bar{1} 12), CuO (\\bar{2} 02), CuInO2 (015) for sample C1 and C2, respectively. The produced In-doped CuO thin films are in polycrystalline structure. The surface properties of produced In doped CuO thin films were determined by using an atomic force microscope (AFM) and field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM) tools. The optical properties of the In doped CuO thin films were determined by UV–vis spectrophotometer, interferometer, and photoluminescence devices. p-type semiconductor thin film was obtained by TVA depsoition.

Diverse Electron-Induced Optical Emissions from Space Observatory Materials at Low Temperatures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dennison, J.R.; Jensen, Amberly Evans; Wilson, Gregory; Dekany, Justin; Bowers, Charles W.; Meloy, Robert

2013-01-01

Electron irradiation experiments have investigated the diverse electron-induced optical and electrical signatures observed in ground-based tests of various space observatory materials at low temperature. Three types of light emission were observed: (i); long-duration cathodoluminescence which persisted as long as the electron beam was on (ii) short-duration (<1 s) arcing, resulting from electrostatic discharge; and (iii) intermediate-duration (100 s) glow-termed "flares". We discuss how the electron currents and arcing-as well as light emission absolute intensity and frequency-depend on electron beam energy, power, and flux and the temperature and thickness of different bulk (polyimides, epoxy resins, and silica glasses) and composite dielectric materials (disordered SiO2 thin films, carbon- and fiberglass-epoxy composites, and macroscopically-conductive carbon-loaded polyimides). We conclude that electron-induced optical emissions resulting from interactions between observatory materials and the space environment electron flux can, in specific circumstances, make significant contributions to the stray light background that could possibly adversely affect the performance of space-based observatories.

Multicolored Emission and Lasing in DCM-Adamantane Plasma Nanocomposite Optical Films.

PubMed

Alcaire, María; Cerdán, Luis; Zamarro, Fernando Lahoz; Aparicio, Francisco J; González, Juan Carlos; Ferrer, Francisco J; Borras, Ana; Espinós, Juan Pedro; Barranco, Angel

2017-03-15

We present a low-temperature versatile protocol for the fabrication of plasma nanocomposite thin films to act as tunable emitters and optical gain media. The films are obtained by the remote plasma-assisted deposition of a 4-(dicyano-methylene)-2-methyl-6-(4-dimethylamino-styryl)-4H-pyran (DCM) laser dye alongside adamantane. The experimental parameters that determine the concentration of the dye in the films and their optical properties, including light absorption, the refractive index, and luminescence, are evaluated. Amplified spontaneous emission experiments in the DCM/adamantane nanocomposite waveguides show the improvement of the copolymerized nanocomposites' properties compared to films that were deposited with DCM as the sole precursor. Moreover, one-dimensional distributed feed-back laser emission is demonstrated and characterized in some of the nanocomposite films that are studied. These results open new paths for the optimization of the optical and lasing properties of plasma nanocomposite polymers, which can be straightforwardly integrated as active components in optoelectronic devices.

Transient Infrared Emission Spectroscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jones, Roger W.; McClelland, John F.

1989-12-01

Transient Infrared Emission Spectroscopy (TIRES) is a new technique that reduces the occurrence of self-absorption in optically thick solid samples so that analytically useful emission spectra may be observed. Conventional emission spectroscopy, in which the sample is held at an elevated, uniform temperature, is practical only for optically thin samples. In thick samples the emission from deep layers of the material is partially absorbed by overlying layers.1 This self-absorption results in emission spectra from most optically thick samples that closely resemble black-body spectra. The characteristic discrete emission bands are severely truncated and altered in shape. TIRES bypasses this difficulty by using a laser to heat only an optically thin surface layer. The increased temperature of the layer is transient since the layer will rapidly cool and thicken by thermal diffusion; hence the emission collection must be correlated with the laser heating. TIRES may be done with both pulsed and cw lasers.2,3 When a pulsed laser is used, the spectrometer sampling must be synchronized with the laser pulsing so that only emission during and immediately after each laser pulse is observed.3 If a cw laser is used, the sample must move rapidly through the beam. The hot, transient layer is then in the beam track on the sample at and immediately behind the beam position, so the spectrometer field of view must be limited to this region near the beam position.2 How much self-absorption the observed emission suffers depends on how thick the heated layer has grown by thermal diffusion when the spectrometer samples the emission. Use of a pulsed laser synchronized with the spectrometer sampling readily permits reduction of the time available for heat diffusion to about 100 acs .3 When a cw laser is used, the heat-diffusion time is controlled by how small the spectrometer field of view is and by how rapidly the sample moves past within this field. Both a very small field of view and a very high sample speed would be required to attain a diffusion time of 100 μs. Accordingly, pulsed-laser TIRES generally produces spectra suffering from less self-absorption than cw-laser TIRES does, but the cw-laser technique is technically much simpler since no synchronization is required.

AGN coronal emission models - I. The predicted radio emission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Raginski, I.; Laor, Ari

2016-06-01

Accretion discs in active galactic nucleus (AGN) may be associated with coronal gas, as suggested by their X-ray emission. Stellar coronal emission includes radio emission, and AGN corona may also be a significant source for radio emission in radio quiet (RQ) AGN. We calculate the coronal properties required to produce the observed radio emission in RQ AGN, either from synchrotron emission of power-law (PL) electrons, or from cyclosynchrotron emission of hot mildly relativistic thermal electrons. We find that a flat spectrum, as observed in about half of RQ AGN, can be produced by corona with a disc or a spherical configuration, which extends from the innermost regions out to a pc scale. A spectral break to an optically thin power-law emission is expected around 300-1000 GHz, as the innermost corona becomes optically thin. In the case of thermal electrons, a sharp spectral cut-off is expected above the break. The position of the break can be measured with very long baseline interferometry observations, which exclude the cold dust emission, and it can be used to probe the properties of the innermost corona. Assuming equipartition of the coronal thermal energy density, the PL electrons energy density, and the magnetic field, we find that the energy density in a disc corona should scale as ˜R-1.3, to get a flat spectrum. In the spherical case the energy density scales as ˜R-2, and is ˜4 × 10-4 of the AGN radiation energy density. In Paper II we derive additional constraints on the coronal parameters from the Gudel-Benz relation, Lradio/LX-ray ˜ 10- 5, which RQ AGN follow.

Calculated emission rates for barium releases in space

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stenbaek-Nielsen, H. C.

1989-01-01

The optical emissions from barium releases in space are caused by resonance and fluorescent scattering of sunlight. Emission rates for the dominant ion and neutral lines are calculated assuming the release to be optically thin and the barium to be in radiative equilibrium with the solar radiation. The solar spectrum has deep Fraunhofer absorption lines at the primary barium ion resonances. A velocity component toward or away from the sun will Doppler shift the emission lines relative to the absorption lines and the emission rates will increase many-fold over the rest value. The Doppler brightening is important in shaped charge or satellite releases where the barium is injected at high velocities. Emission rates as a function of velocity are calculated for the 4554, 4934, 5854, 6142 and 6497 A ion emission lines and the dominant neutral line at 5535 A. Results are presented for injection parallel to the ambient magnetic field, B, and for injection at an angle to B.

Experimental validation of ultra-thin metalenses for N-beam emissions based on transformation optics

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Zhang, Kuang, E-mail: zhangkuang@hit.edu.cn; State Key Laboratory of Millimeter Waves, Nanjing 210096; Ding, Xumin

2016-02-01

A general design of metalenses for N-beam emissions is proposed based on transformation optics. A linear mapping function is adopted to achieve the homogeneous characterization of the transforming medium, which is therefore easy to be achieved compared with previous designs limited by inhomogeneity based on transformation optics. To verify the theoretical design, a four-beam antenna constructed with ultrathin, homogenous, and uniaxial anisotropic metalens is designed, fabricated, and measured. It is shown that the realized gain of the four-beam antenna is increased by 6 dB compared with the single dipole source, while working frequency and relative bandwidth are kept unchanged. The measuredmore » far-field pattern verifies theoretical design procedure.« less

Thin randomly aligned hierarchical carbon nanotube arrays as ultrablack metamaterials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

De Nicola, Francesco; Hines, Peter; De Crescenzi, Maurizio; Motta, Nunzio

2017-07-01

Ultrablack metamaterials are artificial materials able to harvest all the incident light regardless of wavelength, angle, or polarization. Here, we show the ultrablack properties of randomly aligned hierarchical carbon nanotube arrays with thicknesses below 200 nm. The thin coatings are realized by solution processing and dry-transfer deposition on different substrates. The hierarchical surface morphology of the coatings is biomimetic and provides a large effective area that improves the film optical absorption. Also, such a morphology is responsible for the moth-eye effect, which leads to the omnidirectional and polarization-independent suppression of optical reflection. The films exhibit an emissivity up to 99.36% typical of an ideal black body, resulting in the thinnest ultrablack metamaterial ever reported. Such a material may be exploited for thermal, optical, and optoelectronic devices such as heat sinks, optical shields, solar cells, light and thermal sensors, and light-emitting diodes.

Effects of gamma-ray irradiation on the optical properties of amorphous Se100-xHgx thin films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ahmad, Shabir; Islam, Shama; Nasir, Mohd.; Asokan, K.; Zulfequar, M.

2018-06-01

In this study, the thermal quenching technique was employed to prepare bulk samples of Se100-xHgx (x = 0, 5, 10, 15). Thin films with a thickness of ∼250 nm were deposited on glass substrates using the thermal evaporation technique. These films were irradiated with gamma rays at doses of 25-100 kGy. The elemental compositions of the as-deposited thin films were confirmed by energy dispersive X-ray analysis and Rutherford backscattering spectrometry. X-ray diffraction analysis confirmed the crystalline nature of these thin films upto the dose of 75 kGy. Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy showed that the concentration of defects decreased after gamma irradiation. Microstructural analysis by field emission scanning electron microscopy indicated that the grain size increases after irradiation. Optical study based on spectrophotometry showed that the optical band gap values of these films increase after the addition of Hg whereas they decrease after gamma irradiation. We found that the absorption coefficient increases with doses up to 75 kGy but decreases at higher doses. These remarkable shifts in the optical band gap and absorption coefficient values are interpreted in terms of the creation and annihilation of defects, which are the main effects produced by gamma irradiation.

Rings of Molecular Line Emission in the Disk Orbiting the Young, Close Binary V4046 Sgr

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dickson-Vandervelde, Dorothy; Kastner, Joel H.; Qi, C.; Forveille, Thierry; Hily-Blant, Pierre; Oberg, Karin; Wilner, David; Andrews, Sean; Gorti, Uma; Rapson, Valerie; Sacco, Germano; Principe, David

2018-01-01

We present analysis of a suite of subarcsecond ALMA Band 6 (1.1 - 1.4 mm) molecular line images of the circumbinary, protoplanetary disk orbiting V4046 Sgr. The ~20 Myr-old V4046 Sgr system, which lies a mere ~73 pc from Earth, consists of a close (separation ~10 Rsun) pair of roughly solar-mass stars that are orbited by a gas-rich crcumbinary disk extending to ~350 AU in radius. The ALMA images reveal that the molecules CO and HCN and their isotopologues display centrally peaked surface brightness morphologies, whereas the cyanide group molecules (HC3N, CH3CN), deuterated molecules (DCN, DCO+), hydrocarbons (as traced by C2H), and potential CO ice line tracers (N2H+, and H2CO) appear as a sequence of sharp and diffuse rings of increasing radii. The characteristic sizes of these molecular emission rings, which range from ~25 to >100 AU in radius, are evident in radial emission-line surface brightness profiles extracted from the deprojected disk images. We find that emission from 13CO emission transitions from optically thin to thick within ~50 AU, whereas C18O emission remains optically thin within this radius. We summarize the insight into the physical and chemical processes within this evolved protoplanetary disk that can be obtained from comparisons of the various emission-line morphologies with each other and with that of the continuum (large-grain) emission on size scales of tens of AU.This research is supported by NASA Exoplanets program grant NNX16AB43G to RIT

Effect of annealing temperature on physical properties of solution processed nickel oxide thin films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sahoo, Pooja; Thangavel, R.

2018-05-01

In this report, NiO thin films were prepared at different annealing temperatures from nickel acetate precursor by sol-gel spin coating method. These films were characterized by different analytical techniques to obtain their structural, optical morphological and electrical properties using X-ray diffractometer (XRD), Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), UV-Vis NIR double beam spectrophotometer and Keithley 2450 source meter respectively. FESEM images clearly indicates the formation of a homogenous and porous films. Due to their porosity, they can be used in sensing applications. The optical absorption spectra elucidated that the films are highly transparent and have a suitable band gap which are in similar agreement with earlier reports. The current enhancement under illumination shows the suitability of nanostructured NiO thin films in its application in photovoltaics.

Influence of post-deposition annealing on structural, morphological and optical properties of copper (II) acetylacetonate thin films.

PubMed

Abdel-Khalek, H; El-Samahi, M I; El-Mahalawy, Ahmed M

2018-05-21

In this study, the effect of thermal annealing under vacuum conditions on structural, morphological and optical properties of thermally evaporated copper (II) acetylacetonate, cu(acac) 2 , thin films were investigated. The copper (II) acetylacetonate thin films were deposited using thermal evaporation technique at vacuum pressure ~1 × 10 -5  mbar. The deposited films were thermally annealed at 323, 373, 423, and 473 K for 2 h in vacuum. The thermogravimetric analysis of cu(acac) 2 powder indicated a thermal stability of cu(acac) 2 up to 423 K. The effects of thermal annealing on the structural properties of cu(acac) 2 were evaluated employing X-ray diffraction method and the analysis showed a polycrystalline nature of the as-deposited and annealed films with a preferred orientation in [1¯01] direction. Fourier transformation infrared (FTIR) technique was used to negate the decomposition of copper (II) acetylacetonate during preparation or/and annealing up to 423 K. The surface morphology of the prepared films was characterized by means of field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM). A significant enhancement of the morphological properties of cu(acac) 2 thin films was obtained till the annealing temperature reaches 423 K. The variation of optical constants that estimated from spectrophotometric measurements of the prepared thin films was investigated as a function of annealing temperature. The annealing process presented significantly impacted the nonlinear optical properties such as third-order optical susceptibility χ (3) and nonlinear refractive index n 2 of cu(acac) 2 thin films. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The connection between the giant optical outbursts of the flat spectrum radio quasars and the black hole precession

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bachev, Rumen

2018-02-01

Flat Spectrum Radio Quasars (FSRQ) are a part of the blazar family, which in addition to the dominated nonthermal jet emission shows signatures, normally associated with the presence of a standard thin accretion disk, such like thermal continuum and broad emission lines. Furthermore, there is emerging evidence that the FSRQ are more likely to exhibit giant outbursts in the optical, with amplitudes reaching sometimes up to five magnitudes, compared to their quiescent state. We give examples, compiled from the literature and public archives in support of this statement. The most promising mechanism to account for such outbursts appears to be the changing Doppler factor (orientation with respect to the line of sights) of the jet. We attribute such orientation changes of the jet to the presence of misaligned thin accretion disk, leading to a black hole/accretion disk precession. Such a scheme can explain why FSRQ tend to produce large outbursts while other blazar types do not.

Vapor-solid growth of one-dimensional layer-structured gallium sulfide nanostructures.

PubMed

Shen, Guozhen; Chen, Di; Chen, Po-Chiang; Zhou, Chongwu

2009-05-26

Gallium sulfide (GaS) is a wide direct bandgap semiconductor with uniform layered structure used in photoelectric devices, electrical sensors, and nonlinear optical applications. We report here the controlled synthesis of various high-quality one-dimensional GaS nanostructures (thin nanowires, nanobelts, and zigzag nanobelts) as well as other kinds of GaS products (microbelts, hexagonal microplates, and GaS/Ga(2)O(3) heterostructured nanobelts) via a simple vapor-solid method. The morphology and structures of the products can be easily controlled by substrate temperature and evaporation source. Optical properties of GaS thin nanowires and nanobelts were investigated and both show an emission band centered at 580 nm.

ZnS nanostructured thin-films deposited by successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Deshmukh, S. G., E-mail: deshmukhpradyumn@gmail.com; Jariwala, Akshay; Agarwal, Anubha

ZnS thin films were grown on glass substrate using successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction (SILAR) technique at room temperature. Aqueous solutions of ZnCl{sub 2} and Na{sub 2}S were used as precursors. The X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), Raman spectroscopy and optical absorption measurements were applied to study the structural, surface morphology and optical properties of as-deposited ZnS thin films. The X-ray diffraction profiles revealed that ZnS thin films consist of crystalline grains with cubic phase. Spherical nano grains of random size and well covered on the glass substrate were observed from FESEM. The average grainmore » size were found to be 77 nm, 100 nm and 124 nm for 20 cycles, 40 cycles and 60 cycles samples respectively. For 60 cycle sample, Raman spectra show two prominent peaks at 554 cm{sup −1} and 1094 cm{sup −1}. The optical band gap values were found to be 3.76 eV, 3.72 eV and 3.67 eV for 20 cycle, 40 cycle and 60 cycle samples respectively.« less

Ground-based remote sensing of thin clouds in the Arctic

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Garrett, T. J.; Zhao, C.

2012-11-01

This paper describes a method for using interferometer measurements of downwelling thermal radiation to retrieve the properties of single-layer clouds. Cloud phase is determined from ratios of thermal emission in three "micro-windows" where absorption by water vapor is particularly small. Cloud microphysical and optical properties are retrieved from thermal emission in two micro-windows, constrained by the transmission through clouds of stratospheric ozone emission. Assuming a cloud does not approximate a blackbody, the estimated 95% confidence retrieval errors in effective radius, visible optical depth, number concentration, and water path are, respectively, 10%, 20%, 38% (55% for ice crystals), and 16%. Applied to data from the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement program (ARM) North Slope of Alaska - Adjacent Arctic Ocean (NSA-AAO) site near Barrow, Alaska, retrievals show general agreement with ground-based microwave radiometer measurements of liquid water path. Compared to other retrieval methods, advantages of this technique include its ability to characterize thin clouds year round, that water vapor is not a primary source of retrieval error, and that the retrievals of microphysical properties are only weakly sensitive to retrieved cloud phase. The primary limitation is the inapplicability to thicker clouds that radiate as blackbodies.

Structural and optical properties of p-quaterphenyl thin films and application in organic/inorganic photodiodes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Attia, A. A.; Saadeldin, M. M.; Soliman, H. S.; Gadallah, A.-S.; Sawaby, K.

2016-12-01

Para-quaterpheny1 (p-4pheny1) thin films were deposited by the thermal evaporation method on glass/quartz substrates for structural and optical investigations. The XRD of p-4phenyl thin films showed that the as-deposited films have a monoclinic structure. The surface morphology of p-4phenyl thin film was studied using scanning electron microscope. The absorption spectrum of p-4phenyl thin film recorded in the wavelength range 200-2500 nm. Photoluminescence measurements revealed two emission peaks at 435 and 444 nm using N2-laser (337.8 nm). The energy gap obtained from the absorption and photoluminescence data was found to be 2.87 and 2.74 eV respectively with Stokes shift value of 0.13 eV. The current-voltage characteristics of p-4phenyl/p-Si heterojunction have been recorded in the dark and under illumination of laser (337.8 nm). Responsivity, Detectivity, External quantum efficiency and Response speed of (Au/p-4pheny1/p-Si/Al) photodetector have been determined using different laser sources at -1 V bias.

Optical/UV-to-X-Ray Echoes from the Tidal Disruption Flare ASASSN-14li

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Pasham, Dheeraj R.; Sadowski, Aleksander; Cenko, S. Bradley

We carried out the first multi-wavelength (optical/UV and X-ray) photometric reverberation mapping of a tidal disruption flare (TDF) ASASSN-14li. We find that its X-ray variations are correlated with and lag the optical/UV fluctuations by 32 ± 4 days. Based on the direction and the magnitude of the X-ray time lag, we rule out X-ray reprocessing and direct emission from a standard circular thin disk as the dominant source of its optical/UV emission. The lag magnitude also rules out an AGN disk-driven instability as the origin of ASASSN-14li and thus strongly supports the tidal disruption picture for this event and similarmore » objects. We suggest that the majority of the optical/UV emission likely originates from debris stream self-interactions. Perturbations at the self-interaction sites produce optical/UV variability and travel down to the black hole where they modulate the X-rays. The time lag between the optical/UV and the X-rays variations thus correspond to the time taken by these fluctuations to travel from the self-interaction site to close to the black hole. We further discuss these time lags within the context of the three variants of the self-interaction model. High-cadence monitoring observations of future TDFs will be sensitive enough to detect these echoes and would allow us to establish the origin of optical/UV emission in TDFs in general.« less

CO Fundamental Emission from V836 Tauri

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-11-10

systems: formation — planetary systems: protoplanetary disks — stars: individual (V836 Tauri) — stars: pre–main-sequence Online material: color...how either of these hypothesesmay bear on our under- standing of disk dissipation in this system. Subject headinggs: circumstellar matter — planetary ...that can be modeled as an optically thick disk that has an optically thin region (a hole or a gap ) at smaller radii, have been suggested to be in the

Phase change studies in Se85In15-xZnx chalcogenide thin films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Srivastava, Archana; Tiwari, S. N.; Alvi, M. A.; Khan, Shamshad A.

2018-03-01

This research work describes the phase change studies in Se85In15-xZnx thin films at various annealing temperatures. Glassy samples of Se85In15-xZnx were synthesized by the melt quenching method and thin films of thickness 400 nm were prepared by the vacuum evaporation technique on a glass/Si wafer substrate. The glass transition temperature (Tg) and the on-set crystallization temperature (Tc) of the prepared alloys were evaluated by non-isothermal differential scanning calorimetry studies. Thin films were annealed at three temperatures 330 K, 340 K, and 350 K (which are in between Tg and Tc of the synthesized samples) in a vacuum furnace for 2 h. High resolution X-ray diffraction studies demonstrate that the as-prepared films are amorphous in nature whereas the annealed films are of crystalline/polycrystalline in nature. Field emission scanning electron microscopy studies of thin films (as-deposited and crystallized) confirm the phase transformation in Se85In15-xZnx thin films. Optical band gaps were calculated from the Tauc's extrapolation procedure and were found to be enhanced with the Zn concentration and decrease with the increasing annealing temperature. Various optical parameters were evaluated for as-prepared and annealed Se85In15-xZnx thin films. The changes in optical parameters with annealing temperature were described on the basis of structural relaxation as well as changes in defect states and density of localized states during amorphous to crystalline phase transformation in Se85In15-xZnx thin films.

Optical and electrical properties of copper-incorporated ZnS films applicable as solar cell absorbers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mehrabian, M.; Esteki, Z.; Shokrvash, H.; Kavei, G.

2016-10-01

Un-doped and Cu-doped ZnS (ZnS:Cu) thin films were synthesized by Successive Ion Layer Absorption and Reaction (SILAR) method. The UV-visible absorption studies have been used to calculate the band gap values of the fabricated ZnS:Cu thin films. It was observed that by increasing the concentration of Cu2+ ions, the Fermi level moves toward the edge of the valence band of ZnS. Photoluminescence spectra of un-doped and Cu-doped ZnS thin films was recorded under 355 nm. The emission spectrum of samples has a blue emission band at 436 nm. The peak positions of the luminescence showed a red shift as the Cu2+ ion concentration was increased, which indicates that the acceptor level (of Cu2+) is getting close to the valence band of ZnS.

Development of the α-IGZO/Ag/α-IGZO Triple-Layer Structure Films for the Application of Transparent Electrode

PubMed Central

Chen, Kun-Neng; Yang, Cheng-Fu; Wu, Chia-Ching; Chen, Yu-Hsin

2017-01-01

We investigated the structural, optical, and electrical properties of amorphous IGZO/silver/amorphous IGZO (α-IGZO/Ag/α-IGZO) triple-layer structures that were deposited at room temperature on Eagle XG glass and flexible polyethylene terephthalate substrates through the sputtering method. Thin Ag layers with different thicknesses were inserted between two IGZO layers to form a triple-layer structure. Ag was used because of its lower absorption and resistivity. Field emission scanning electron microscopy measurements of the triple-layer structures revealed that the thicknesses of the Ag layers ranged from 13 to 41 nm. The thickness of the Ag layer had a large effect on the electrical and optical properties of the electrodes. The optimum thickness of the Ag metal thin film could be evaluated according to the optical transmittance, electrical conductivity, and figure of merit of the electrode. This study demonstrates that the α-IGZO/Ag/α-IGZO triple-layer transparent electrode can be fabricated with low sheet resistance (4.2 Ω/□) and high optical transmittance (88.1%) at room temperature without postannealing processing on the deposited thin films. PMID:28772586

Synthesis and characterization thin films of conductive polymer (PANI) for optoelectronic device application

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jarad, Amer N.; Ibrahim, Kamarulazizi; Ahmed, Nasser M.

2016-07-01

In this work we report preparation and investigation of structural and optical properties of polyaniline conducting polymer. By using sol-gel in spin coating technique to synthesize thin films of conducting polymer polyaniline (PANI). Conducting polymer polyaniline was synthesized by the chemical oxidative polymerization of aniline monomers. The thin films were characterized by technique: Hall effect, High Resolution X-ray diffraction (HR-XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), and UV-vis spectroscopy. Polyaniline conductive polymer exhibit amorphous nature as confirmed by HR-XRD. The presence of characteristic bonds of polyaniline was observed from FTIR spectroscopy technique. Electrical and optical properties revealed that (p-type) conductivity PANI with room temperature, the conductivity was 6.289×10-5 (Ω.cm)-1, with tow of absorption peak at 426,805 nm has been attributed due to quantized size of polyaniline conducting polymer.

The absence of a thin disc in M81*

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Young, A. J.; McHardy, I.; Emmanoulopoulos, D.; Connolly, S.

2018-06-01

We present the results of simultaneous Suzaku and NuSTAR observations of the nearest low-luminosity active galactic nucleus (LLAGN), M81*. The spectrum is well described by a cut-off power law plus narrow emission lines from Fe K α, Fe xxv, and Fe xxvi. There is no evidence of Compton reflection from an optically thick disc, and we obtain the strongest constraint on the reflection fraction in M81* to date, with a best-fitting value of R = 0.0 with an upper limit of R < 0.1. The Fe K α line may be produced in optically thin, N_H = 1 × 10^{23} cm^{-2}, gas located in the equatorial plane that could be the broad line region. The ionized iron lines may originate in the hot, inner accretion flow. The X-ray continuum shows significant variability on ˜40 ks time-scales suggesting that the primary X-ray source is ˜100 s of gravitational radii in size. If this X-ray source illuminates any putative optically thick disc, the weakness of reflection implies that such a disc lies outside a few ×103 gravitational radii. An optically thin accretion flow inside a truncated optically thick disc appears to be a common feature of LLAGN that are accreting at only a tiny fraction of the Eddington limit.

Passive optical limiting studies of nanostructured Cu doped ZnO-PVA composite thin films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tamgadge, Y. S.; Sunatkari, A. L.; Talwatkar, S. S.; Pahurkar, V. G.; Muley, G. G.

2016-01-01

We prepared undoped and Cu doped ZnO semiconducting nanoparticles (NPs) by chemical co-precipitation method and obtained Cu doped ZnO-polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) nanocomposite thin films by spin coating to investigate third order nonlinear optical and optical limiting properties under cw laser excitation. Powder samples of NPs were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. XRD pattern and FE-SEM micrograph revealed the presence of hexagonal wurtzite phase ZnO NPs having uniform morphology with average particle size of 20 nm. The presence of excitons and absorption peaks in the range 343-360 nm, revealed by UV-vis study, were attributed to excitons in n = 1 quantum state. Third order NLO properties of all composite thin films were investigated by He-Ne continuous wave (cw) laser of wavelength 632.8 nm using Z-scan technique. Thermally stimulated enhanced values of nonlinear refraction and absorption coefficients were obtained which may be attributed to self-defocusing effect, reverse saturable absorption, weak free carrier absorption and surface states properties originated from thermo optic effect. Optical limiting properties have been studied using cw diode laser of wavelength 808 nm and results are presented.

Visible and Near-Infrared Spectroscopy of Seyfert 1 and Narrow-Line Seyfert 1 Galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rodríguez-Ardila, Alberto; Pastoriza, Miriani G.; Donzelli, Carlos J.

2000-01-01

This paper studies the continuum and emission-line properties of a sample composed of 16 normal Seyfert 1 and seven narrow-line Seyfert 1 (NLS1) galaxies using optical and near-IR CCD spectroscopy. The continuum emission of the galaxies can be described in terms of a combination of stellar population, a nonstellar continuum of power-law form, and Fe II emission. A significative difference in the optical spectral index between NLS1's and normal Seyfert 1's is observed; the latter is steeper. Most NLS1's show Fe II/Hβ ratios larger than those observed in the other Seyfert 1's. In the IRAS band, both groups of galaxies have very similar properties. We have searched for the presence of optically thin gas in the broad-line region (BLR) of the galaxies by comparing the broad O I λ8446 and Hα emission-line profiles. Our analysis show that in the NLS1's, both profiles are similar in shape and width. This result contradicts the hypothesis of thin gas emission in the high-velocity part of the BLR to explain the ``narrowness'' of broad optical permitted lines in these objects. Evidence of narrow O I λ8446 emission is found in six galaxies of our sample, implying that this line is not restricted to a pure BLR phenomenon. In the narrow-line region, we find similar luminosities in the permitted and high-ionization lines of NLS1's and normal Seyfert 1's. However, low-ionization lines such as [O I] λ6300, [O II] λ3727, and [S II] λλ6717, 6731 are intrinsically less luminous in NLS1's. Physical properties derived from density- and temperature-sensitive line ratios suggest that the [O II] and [S II] emitting zones are overlapping in normal Seyfert 1's and separated in NLS1's. Based on observations made at CASLEO. Complejo Astronómico El Leoncito (CASLEO) is operated under agreement between the Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y técnicas de la República Argentina and the National Universities of La Plata, Córdoba and San Juán.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Espaillat, C.; D'Alessio, P.; Hernandez, J.

In the past few years, several disks with inner holes that are relatively empty of small dust grains have been detected and are known as transitional disks. Recently, Spitzer has identified a new class of 'pre-transitional disks' with gaps based on near-infrared photometry and mid-infrared spectra; these objects have an optically thick inner disk separated from an optically thick outer disk by an optically thin disk gap. A near-infrared spectrum provided the first confirmation of a gap in the pre-transitional disk of LkCa 15 by verifying that the near-infrared excess emission in this object was due to an optically thickmore » inner disk. Here, we investigate the difference between the nature of the inner regions of transitional and pre-transitional disks using the same veiling-based technique to extract the near-infrared excess emission above the stellar photosphere. However, in this work we use detailed disk models to fit the excess continua as opposed to the simple blackbody fits previously used. We show that the near-infrared excess emission of the previously identified pre-transitional disks of LkCa 15 and UX Tau A in the Taurus cloud as well as the newly identified pre-transitional disk of ROX 44 in Ophiuchus can be fit with an inner disk wall located at the dust destruction radius. We also present detailed modeling of the broadband spectral energy distributions of these objects, taking into account the effect of shadowing by the inner disk on the outer disk, but considering the finite size of the star, unlike other recent treatments. The near-infrared excess continua of these three pre-transitional disks, which can be explained by optically thick inner disks, are significantly different from that of the transitional disks of GM Aur, whose near-infrared excess continuum can be reproduced by emission from sub-micron-sized optically thin dust, and DM Tau, whose near-infrared spectrum is consistent with a disk hole that is relatively free of small dust. The structure of pre-transitional disks may be a sign of young planets forming in these disks and future studies of pre-transitional disks will provide constraints to aid in theoretical modeling of planet formation.« less

Studies of Nano-structured Se77Sb23- x Ge x Thin Films Prepared by Physical Vapor Condensation Technique

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alvi, M. A.

2017-02-01

Bulk Se77Sb23- x Ge x material with x = 4 and 12 was prepared by employing a melt quench technique. Its amorphous as well as glassy nature was confirmed by x-ray diffraction analysis and nonisothermal differential scanning calorimetry measurements. The physical vapor condensation technique was applied to prepare nanostructured thin films of Se77Sb23- x Ge x material. The surface morphology of the films was examined using field-emission scanning electron microscopy, revealing average particle size between 20 nm and 50 nm. Systematic investigation of optical absorption data indicated that the optical transition was indirect in nature. The dark conductivity (dc conductivity) of nano-structured Se77Sb23- x Ge x thin films was also investigated at temperatures from 313 K to 463 K, revealing that it tended to increase with increasing temperature. Analyses of our experimental data also indicate that the conduction is due to thermally supported tunneling of charge carriers in confined states close to the band edges. The calculated values of activation energy agree well with the optical bandgap.

Fast Adaptive Thermal Camouflage Based on Flexible VO₂/Graphene/CNT Thin Films.

PubMed

Xiao, Lin; Ma, He; Liu, Junku; Zhao, Wei; Jia, Yi; Zhao, Qiang; Liu, Kai; Wu, Yang; Wei, Yang; Fan, Shoushan; Jiang, Kaili

2015-12-09

Adaptive camouflage in thermal imaging, a form of cloaking technology capable of blending naturally into the surrounding environment, has been a great challenge in the past decades. Emissivity engineering for thermal camouflage is regarded as a more promising way compared to merely temperature controlling that has to dissipate a large amount of excessive heat. However, practical devices with an active modulation of emissivity have yet to be well explored. In this letter we demonstrate an active cloaking device capable of efficient thermal radiance control, which consists of a vanadium dioxide (VO2) layer, with a negative differential thermal emissivity, coated on a graphene/carbon nanotube (CNT) thin film. A slight joule heating drastically changes the emissivity of the device, achieving rapid switchable thermal camouflage with a low power consumption and excellent reliability. It is believed that this device will find wide applications not only in artificial systems for infrared camouflage or cloaking but also in energy-saving smart windows and thermo-optical modulators.

Deposition and characterization of ZnSe nanocrystalline thin films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Temel, Sinan; Gökmen, F. Özge; Yaman, Elif; Nebi, Murat

2018-02-01

ZnSe nanocrystalline thin films were deposited at different deposition times by using the Chemical Bath Deposition (CBD) technique. Effects of deposition time on structural, morphological and optical properties of the obtained thin films were characterized. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis was used to study the structural properties of ZnSe nanocrystalline thin films. It was found that ZnSe thin films have a cubic structure with a preferentially orientation of (111). The calculated average grain size value was about 28-30 nm. The surface morphology of these films was studied by the Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope (FESEM). The surfaces of the thin films were occurred from small stacks and nano-sized particles. The band gap values of the ZnSe nanocrystalline thin films were determined by UV-Visible absorption spectrum and the band gap values were found to be between 2.65-2.86 eV.

Low threshold Amplified Spontaneous Emission properties in deep blue of poly[(9,9-dioctylfluorene-2,7-dyil)-alt-p-phenylene] thin films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lattante, Sandro; De Giorgi, Maria Luisa; Pasini, Mariacecilia; Anni, Marco

2017-10-01

Amongst the different optoelectronic applications of conjugated polymers, the development of new active materials for optically pumped organic lasers is still an open question particularly in the blue-near UV spectral range. We investigate the emission properties of poly[(9,9-dioctylfluorene-2,7-dyil)- alt-p-phenylene] (PFP) neat films under nanosecond pump. We demonstrate that thanks to the introduction of a phenylene moiety between two fluorene units it is possible to obtain Amplified Spontaneous Emission (ASE) with a lower threshold and a blue shifted wavelength with respect to poly(9,9-dioctylfluorene) (PFO). We demonstrate efficient ASE with a minimum threshold as low as 23 μJcm-2 and a minimum ASE wavelength of 436 nm. A maximum net optical gain of about 26 cm-1 is measured at an excitation density of 0.23 mJcm-2. These results make the PFP a good active material for optically pumped deep blue organic lasers.

Broadband terahertz generation of metamaterials

DOEpatents

Luo, Liang; Wang, Jigang; Koschny, Thomas; Wegener, Martin; Soukoulis, Costas M.

2017-06-20

Provided are systems and methods to generate single-cycle THz pulses from a few tens of nanometers thin layer of split ring resonators (SRRs) via optical rectification of femtosecond laser pulses. The emitted THz radiation, with a spectrum ranging from about 0.1 to 4 THz, arises exclusively from pumping the magnetic-dipole resonance of SRRs around 200 THz. This resonant enhancement, together with pump polarization dependence and power scaling of the THz emission, underpins the nonlinearity from optically induced circulating currents in SRRs, with a huge effective nonlinear susceptibility of 0.8.times.10.sup.-16 m.sup.2/V that far exceeds surface nonlinearities of both thin films and bulk organic/inorganic crystals and sheet nonlinearities of non-centrosymmetric materials such as ZnTe.

Detection of Nitrogen and Neon in the X-ray Spectrum of GP Com with XMM/Newton

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Strohmayer, Tod E.

2004-01-01

We report on X-ray spectroscopic observations with XMM/Newton of the ultra-compact, double white dwarf binary, GP Com. With the Reflection Grating Spectrometers (RGS) we detect the L(alpha) and L(beta) lines of hydrogen-like nitrogen (N VII) and neon (Ne X), as well as the helium-like triplets (N VI and Ne IX) of these same elements. All the emission lines are unresolved. These are the first detections of X-ray emission lines from a double-degenerate, AM CVn system. We detect the resonance (r) and intercombination (i) lines of the N VI triplet, but not the forbidden (f) line. The implied line ratios for N VI, R = f/i less than 0.3, and G = (f + i ) / r approx. = 1, combined with the strong resonance line are consistent with a dense, collision-dominated plasma. Both the RGS and EPIC/MOS spectra are well fit by emission horn an optically thin thermal plasma with an emission measure (EM) is a member of (kT/6.5 keV)(sup 0.8) (model cevmkl in XSPEC). Helium, nitrogen, oxygen and neon are required to adequately model the spectrum, however, the inclusion of sulphur and iron further improves the fit, suggesting these elements may also be present at low abundance. We confirm in the X-rays the under- abundance of both carbon and oxygen relative to nitrogen, first deduced from optical spectroscopy by Marsh et al. The average X-ray luminosity of approx. = 3 x 10(exp 30) ergs/s implies a mass accretion rate dot-m approx. = 9 x 10(exp -13) solar mass/yr. The implied temperature and density of the emitting plasma, combined with the presence of narrow emission lines and the low dot-m value, are consistent with production of the X-ray emission in an optically thin boundary layer just above the surface of the white dwarf.

A Monte Carlo Code for Relativistic Radiation Transport Around Kerr Black Holes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schnittman, Jeremy David; Krolik, Julian H.

2013-01-01

We present a new code for radiation transport around Kerr black holes, including arbitrary emission and absorption mechanisms, as well as electron scattering and polarization. The code is particularly useful for analyzing accretion flows made up of optically thick disks and optically thin coronae. We give a detailed description of the methods employed in the code and also present results from a number of numerical tests to assess its accuracy and convergence.

Vertical pillar-superlattice array and graphene hybrid light emitting diodes.

PubMed

Lee, Jung Min; Choung, Jae Woong; Yi, Jaeseok; Lee, Dong Hyun; Samal, Monica; Yi, Dong Kee; Lee, Chul-Ho; Yi, Gyu-Chul; Paik, Ungyu; Rogers, John A; Park, Won Il

2010-08-11

We report a type of device that combines vertical arrays of one-dimensional (1D) pillar-superlattice (PSL) structures with 2D graphene sheets to yield a class of light emitting diode (LED) with interesting mechanical, optical, and electrical characteristics. In this application, graphene sheets coated with very thin metal layers exhibit good mechanical and electrical properties and an ability to mount, in a freely suspended configuration, on the PSL arrays as a top window electrode. Optical characterization demonstrates that graphene exhibits excellent optical transparency even after deposition of the thin metal films. Thermal annealing of the graphene/metal (Gr/M) contact to the GaAs decreases the contact resistance, to provide enhanced carrier injection. The resulting PSL-Gr/M LEDs exhibit bright light emission over large areas. The result suggests the utility of graphene-based materials as electrodes in devices with unusual, nonplanar 3D architectures.

Visible emission from bismuth-doped yttrium oxide thin films for lighting and display applications.

PubMed

Scarangella, Adriana; Fabbri, Filippo; Reitano, Riccardo; Rossi, Francesca; Priolo, Francesco; Miritello, Maria

2017-12-11

Due to the great development of light sources for several applications from displays to lighting, great efforts are devoted to find stable and efficient visible emitting materials. Moreover, the requirement of Si compatibility could enlarge the range of applications inside microelectronic chips. In this scenario, we have studied the emission properties of bismuth doped yttrium oxide thin films grown on crystalline silicon. Under optical pumping at room temperature a stable and strong visible luminescence has been observed. In particular, by the involvement of Bi ions in the two available lattice sites, the emission can be tuned from violet to green by changing the excitation wavelength. Moreover, under electron beam at low accelerating voltages (3 keV) a blue emission with high efficiency and excellent stability has been recorded. The color is generated by the involvement of Bi ions in both the lattice sites. These peculiarities make this material interesting as a luminescent medium for applications in light emitting devices and field emission displays by opening new perspectives for the realization of silicon-technology compatible light sources operating at room temperature.

Studies on annealed ZnO:V thin films deposited by nebulised spray pyrolysis method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Malini, D. Rachel

2018-04-01

Structural, optical and photoluminescence properties of annealed ZnO:V thin films deposited by nebulized spray pyrolysis technique by varying vanadium concentration are studied. Thickness of thin films varies from 1.52µm to 7.78µm. V2O5, VO2 and ZnO peaks are observed in XRD patterns deposited with high vanadium concentration and the intensity of peaks corresponding to ZnO decreases in those samples. Morphological properties were studied by analysing SEM images and annealed thin films deposited at ZnO:V = 50:50 possess dumb bell shape grains. Emission peaks corresponding to both Augur transition and deep level transition are observed in the PL spectra of the samples.

Investigation of the Structural, Electrical, and Optical Properties of the Nano-Scale GZO Thin Films on Glass and Flexible Polyimide Substrates

PubMed Central

Wang, Fang-Hsing; Chen, Kun-Neng; Hsu, Chao-Ming; Liu, Min-Chu; Yang, Cheng-Fu

2016-01-01

In this study, Ga2O3-doped ZnO (GZO) thin films were deposited on glass and flexible polyimide (PI) substrates at room temperature (300 K), 373 K, and 473 K by the radio frequency (RF) magnetron sputtering method. After finding the deposition rate, all the GZO thin films with a nano-scale thickness of about 150 ± 10 nm were controlled by the deposition time. X-ray diffraction patterns indicated that the GZO thin films were not amorphous and all exhibited the (002) peak, and field emission scanning electron microscopy showed that only nano-scale particles were observed. The dependences of the structural, electrical, and optical properties of the GZO thin films on different deposition temperatures and substrates were investigated. X-ray photoemission spectroscopy (XPS) was used to measure the elemental composition at the chemical and electronic states of the GZO thin films deposited on different substrates, which could be used to clarify the mechanism of difference in electrical properties of the GZO thin films. In this study, the XPS binding energy spectra of Ga2p3/2 and Ga2p1/2 peaks, Zn2p3/2 and Zn2p1/2 peaks, the Ga3d peak, and O1s peaks for GZO thin films on glass and PI substrates were well compared. PMID:28335216

Manipulation of ZnO composition affecting electrical properties of MEH-PPV: ZnO nanocomposite thin film via spin coating for OLEDs application

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Azhar, N. E. A.; Shariffudin, S. S.; Alrokayan, Salman A. H.; Khan, Haseeb A.; Rusop, M.

2018-05-01

Recent investigations of the promising materials for optoelectronic have been demonstrated by introducing n-type inorganic material into conjugated polymer. Morphology, optical and electrical of nanocomposites thin films based on poly[2-methoxy-5-(2'-ethyl-hexyloxy)-1,4-phenylene vinylene] (MEH-PPV) and zinc oxide (ZnO) nanotetrapods with various ZnO composition (0 wt% to 0.4 wt%) have been investigated. The MEH-PPV: ZnO nanocomposite thin film was deposited using spin-coating method. Surface morphology was characterized using field emission scanning electron microscopy and shows the uniform dispersion of MEH-PPV and ZnO phases for sample deposited at 0.2 wt%. The photoluminescence (PL) spectra shows the visible emission intensities increased when the ZnO composition increased. The current-voltage (I-V) measurement shows the highest conductivity of nanocomposite thin film deposited at 0.2 wt% of ZnO is 7.40 × 10-1 S. cm-1. This study will provide better performance and suitable for optoelectronic device especially OLEDs application.

Focussed ion beam thin sample microanalysis using a field emission gun electron probe microanalyser

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kubo, Y.

2018-01-01

Field emission gun electron probe microanalysis (FEG-EPMA) in conjunction with wavelength-dispersive X-ray spectrometry using a low acceleration voltage (V acc) allows elemental analysis with sub-micrometre lateral spatial resolution (SR). However, this degree of SR does not necessarily meet the requirements associated with increasingly miniaturised devices. Another challenge related to performing FEG-EPMA with a low V acc is that the accuracy of quantitative analyses is adversely affected, primarily because low energy X-ray lines such as the L- and M-lines must be employed and due to the potential of line interference. One promising means of obtaining high SR with FEG-EPMA is to use thin samples together with high V acc values. This mini-review covers the basic principles of thin-sample FEG-EPMA and describes an application of this technique to the analysis of optical fibres. Outstanding issues related to this technique that must be addressed are also discussed, which include the potential for electron beam damage during analysis of insulating materials and the development of methods to use thin samples for quantitative analysis.

O-shell emission of heavy atoms in an optically thin tokamak plasma

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Finkenthal, M.; Lippmann, S.; Huang, L. K.; Zwicker, A.; Moos, H. W.; Goldstein, W. H.; Osterheld, A. L.

1992-04-01

Heavy atoms Au (Z=79), Pb (Z=82), Bi (Z=83), and U (Z=92) have been introduced in the low-density (ne~1013 cm-3) high-temperature (Te>=1 keV) TEXT tokamak (Fusion Research Center, University of Texas at Austin) plasma. The emission has been measured in the 50-200-Å range using a photometrically calibrated, time-resolving grazing-incidence spectrometer. The O-shell ion emission has been identified by comparison with ab initio energy-level calculations and line-intensity predictions of collisional radiative models for various charge states with 5p65dk ground-state configurations.

Control of excitons in multi-layer van der Waals heterostructures

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Calman, E. V., E-mail: ecalman@gmail.com; Dorow, C. J.; Fogler, M. M.

2016-03-07

We report an experimental study of excitons in a double quantum well van der Waals heterostructure made of atomically thin layers of MoS{sub 2} and hexagonal boron nitride. The emission of neutral and charged excitons is controlled by gate voltage, temperature, and both the helicity and the power of optical excitation.

Structural, optical and NO2 gas sensing properties of ZnMgO thin films prepared by the sol gel method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chebil, W.; Boukadhaba, M. A.; Madhi, I.; Fouzri, A.; Lusson, A.; Vilar, C.; Sallet, V.

2017-01-01

In this present work, ZnO and ZnMgO thin films prepared by a sol-gel process were deposited on glass substrates via spin coating technique. The structural, morphological and optical properties of the obtained films were investigated. X-ray diffraction study revealed that all layers exhibit a hexagonal wurtzite structure without any secondary phase segregation. The atomic force microscopy (AFM) depicts that the grains size of ours samples decreases as magnesium content increases. The absorption spectra obtained on ZnMgO thin films show a band gap tuning from 3.19 to 3.36 eV, which is also consistent with blue shifting of near-band edge PL emission, measured at low temperature. The incorporated amount of magnesium was calculated and confirmed by EDX. The gas sensing performances were tested in air containing NO2 for different operating temperatures. The experimental result exhibited that ZnMgO sensors shows a faster response and recovery time than the ZnO thin films. The resistivity and the sensor response as function of Mg content were also investigated.

433 micron laser heterodyne observations of galactic CO from Mauna Kea

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Buhl, D.; Chin, G.; Koepf, G. A.; Fetterman, H. R.; Peck, D. D.; Clifton, B. J.; Tannenwald, P. E.; Goldsmith, P. F.; Erickson, N. R.; Mcavoy, N.

1981-01-01

A submillimeter heterodyne radiometer, developed for astronomical applications, uses an optically pumped laser local oscillator and a quasi-optical Schottky diode mixer. The resultant telescope-mounted system, which has a noise temperature less than 4000 K (double sideband) and high frequency and spatial resolution, has been used to detect the J = 6 to 5 rotational transition of carbon monoxide at 434 micrometers in the Orion molecular clouds. The measurements, when compared with previous millimeter-wave data, indicate that the broad carbon monoxide emission feature is produced by an optically thin gas whose temperature exceeds 180 K.

Optical, near, infrared and ultraviolet monitoring of the Seyfert 1 galaxy Markarian 335

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shrader, Chris R.; Sun, W.-H.; Turner, T. J.; Hintzen, P. M.

1990-01-01

Preliminary results of a multifrequency monitoring campaign for the bright, Seyfert 1 galactic nuclei Mkn335 are presented. Nearly uniform sampling at 3 day intervals is achieved quasi simultaneously at each wavelength band. Wavelength dependent variability is seen at the 20 to 30 percent level. Interpretation of variability in terms of geometrically thin, optically thick accretion disk models is discussed. The inferred blackhole masses and accretion rates are discussed. Possible correlation between continuum and emission line variations is discussed.

Thin film beam splitter multiple short pulse generation for enhanced Ni-like Ag x-ray laser emission.

PubMed

Cojocaru, Gabriel V; Ungureanu, Razvan G; Banici, Romeo A; Ursescu, Daniel; Delmas, Olivier; Pittman, Moana; Guilbaud, Olivier; Kazamias, Sophie; Cassou, Kevin; Demailly, Julien; Neveu, Olivier; Baynard, Elsa; Ros, David

2014-04-15

An alternative, novel multiple pulse generation scheme was implemented directly after the optical compressor output of an x-ray pump laser. The new method uses a polarization sensitive thin film beam splitter and a half-wavelength wave plate for tuning the energy ratio in the multiple short pulses. Based on this method, an extensive study was made of the running parameters for a grazing incidence pumped silver x-ray laser (XRL) pumped with a long pulse of 145 mJ in 6 ns at 532 nm and up to 1.45 J in few picoseconds at 810 nm. Fivefold enhancement in the emission of the silver XRL was demonstrated using the new pump method.

Antimicrobial Activity of Thin Solid Films of Silver Doped Hydroxyapatite Prepared by Sol-Gel Method

PubMed Central

Iconaru, Simona Liliana; Chapon, Patrick; Le Coustumer, Philippe; Predoi, Daniela

2014-01-01

In this work, the preparation and characterization of silver doped hydroxyapatite thin films were reported and their antimicrobial activity was characterized. Silver doped hydroxyapatite (Ag:HAp) thin films coatings substrate was prepared on commercially pure Si disks by sol-gel method. The silver doped hydroxyapatite thin films were characterized by various techniques such as Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with energy Dispersive X-ray attachment (X-EDS), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), and glow discharge optical emission spectroscopy (GDOES). These techniques have permitted the structural and chemical characterisation of the silver doped hydroxyapatite thin films. The antimicrobial effect of the Ag:HAp thin films on Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus bacteria was then investigated. This is the first study on the antimicrobial effect of Ag:HAp thin films obtained by sol-gel method. The results of this study have shown that the Ag:HAp thin films with x Ag = 0.5 are effective against E. coli and S. aureus after 24 h. PMID:24523630

Antimicrobial activity of thin solid films of silver doped hydroxyapatite prepared by sol-gel method.

PubMed

Iconaru, Simona Liliana; Chapon, Patrick; Le Coustumer, Philippe; Predoi, Daniela

2014-01-01

In this work, the preparation and characterization of silver doped hydroxyapatite thin films were reported and their antimicrobial activity was characterized. Silver doped hydroxyapatite (Ag:HAp) thin films coatings substrate was prepared on commercially pure Si disks by sol-gel method. The silver doped hydroxyapatite thin films were characterized by various techniques such as Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with energy Dispersive X-ray attachment (X-EDS), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), and glow discharge optical emission spectroscopy (GDOES). These techniques have permitted the structural and chemical characterisation of the silver doped hydroxyapatite thin films. The antimicrobial effect of the Ag:HAp thin films on Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus bacteria was then investigated. This is the first study on the antimicrobial effect of Ag:HAp thin films obtained by sol-gel method. The results of this study have shown that the Ag:HAp thin films with x(Ag) = 0.5 are effective against E. coli and S. aureus after 24 h.

Structural and optical properties of glancing angle deposited TiO2 nanowires array.

PubMed

Chinnamuthu, P; Mondal, A; Singh, N K; Dhar, J C; Das, S K; Chattopadhyay, K K

2012-08-01

TiO2 nanowires (NWs) have been synthesized by glancing angle deposition technique using e-beam evaporator. The average length 490 nm and diameter 80 nm of NWs were examined by field emission-scanning electron microscopy. Transmission electron microscopy emphasized that the NWs were widely dispersed at the top. X-ray diffraction has been carried out on the TiO2 thin film (TF) and NW array. A small blue shift of 0.03 eV was observed in Photoluminescence (PL) main band emission for TiO2 NW as compared to TiO2 TF. The high temperature annealing at 980 degrees C partially removed the oxygen vacancy from the sample, which was investigated by PL and optical absorption measurements.

Single-Photon Emitters in Boron Nitride Nanococoons.

PubMed

Ziegler, Joshua; Blaikie, Andrew; Fathalizadeh, Aidin; Miller, David; Yasin, Fehmi S; Williams, Kerisha; Mohrhardt, Jordan; McMorran, Benjamin J; Zettl, Alex; Alemán, Benjamín

2018-04-11

Quantum emitters in two-dimensional hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) are attractive for a variety of quantum and photonic technologies because they combine ultra-bright, room-temperature single-photon emission with an atomically thin crystal. However, the emitter's prominence is hindered by large, strain-induced wavelength shifts. We report the discovery of a visible-wavelength, single-photon emitter (SPE) in a zero-dimensional boron nitride allotrope (the boron nitride nanococoon, BNNC) that retains the excellent optical characteristics of few-layer hBN while possessing an emission line variation that is lower by a factor of 5 than the hBN emitter. We determined the emission source to be the nanometer-size BNNC through the cross-correlation of optical confocal microscopy with high-resolution scanning and transmission electron microscopy. Altogether, this discovery enlivens color centers in BN materials and, because of the BN nanococoon's size, opens new and exciting opportunities in nanophotonics, quantum information, biological imaging, and nanoscale sensing.

LIBS coupled with ICP/OES for the spectral analysis of betel leaves

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rehan, I.; Rehan, K.; Sultana, S.; Khan, M. Z.; Muhammad, R.

2018-05-01

Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) system was optimized and was applied for the elemental analysis and exposure of the heavy metals in betel leaves in air. Pulsed Nd:YAG (1064 nm) in conjunction with a suitable detector (LIBS 2000+, Ocean Optics, Inc) having the optical resolution of 0.06 nm was used to record the emission spectra from 200 to 720 nm. Elements like Al, Ba, Ca, Cr, Cu, P, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, Na, P, S, Sr, and Zn were found to be present in the samples. The abundances of observed elements were calculated through normalized calibration curve method, integrated intensity ratio method, and calibration free-LIBS approach. Quantitative analyses were accomplished under the assumption of local thermodynamic equilibrium (LTE) and optically thin plasma. LIBS findings were validated by comparing its results with the results obtained using a typical analytical technique of inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectroscopy (ICP/OES). Limit of detection (LOD) of the LIBS system was also estimated for heavy metals.

THz emission of donor and acceptor doped GaAs/AlGaAs quantum well structures with inserted thin AlAs monolayer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

van Dommelen, Paphavee; Daengngam, Chalongrat; Kalasuwan, Pruet

2018-04-01

In this paper, we explore THz range optical intersubband transition energies in a donor doped quantum well of a GaAs/AlGaAs system as a function of the insertion position of an AlAs monolayer in the GaAs quantum well. In simulated models, the optical transition energies between electron subband levels 1 and 2 were higher in the doped structure than in the undoped structure. This may be because the envelope wave function of the second electron subband strongly overlapped the envelope wave function of the first electron subband and influenced the optical intersubband transition between the two levels in the THz range. At different levels of bias voltage at the Schottky barrier on the donor doped structure, the electric field in the growth direction of the structure linearly increased the further away the AlAs monolayer was placed from the reference position. We also simulated the optical transition energies between acceptor energy levels of the acceptor doped structure as a function of the insertion position of the AlAs monolayer. The acceptor doped structure induced THz range emission whereas the undoped structure induced mid-IR emission.

Excitonic linewidth and coherence lifetime in monolayer transition metal dichalcogenides

DOE PAGES

Selig, Malte; Berghäuser, Gunnar; Raja, Archana; ...

2016-11-07

Atomically thin transition metal dichalcogenides are direct-gap semiconductors with strong light–matter and Coulomb interactions. The latter accounts for tightly bound excitons, which dominate their optical properties. Besides the optically accessible bright excitons, these systems exhibit a variety of dark excitonic states. They are not visible in the optical spectra, but can strongly influence the coherence lifetime and the linewidth of the emission from bright exciton states. We investigate the microscopic origin of the excitonic coherence lifetime in two representative materials (WS 2 and MoSe 2) through a study combining microscopic theory with spectroscopic measurements. We also show that the excitonicmore » coherence lifetime is determined by phonon-induced intravalley scattering and intervalley scattering into dark excitonic states. Particularly, we identify exciton relaxation processes involving phonon emission into lower-lying dark states that are operative at all temperatures, in WS 2.« less

Far-infrared rotational emission by carbon monoxide

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mckee, C. F.; Storey, J. W. V.; Watson, D. M.; Green, S.

1982-01-01

Accurate theoretical collisional excitation rates are used to determine the emissivities of CO rotational lines for an H2 molecule content of at least 10,000/cu cm, temperature in the range 100-3000 K, and J not more than 60 under the assumption that the lines are optically thin. An approximate analytic expression for the emissivities which is valid in this region is obtained. Population inversions in the lower rotational levels occur for densities of molecular H2 around 1000-100,000/cu cm and temperatures T not more than about 50 K provided photon trapping is unimportant. Interstellar shocks observed edge-on are a potential source of weak millimeter-wave CO maser emission.

Ag-protein plasmonic architectures for surface plasmon-coupled emission enhancements and Fabry-Perot mode-coupled directional fluorescence emission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Badiya, Pradeep Kumar; Patnaik, Sai Gourang; Srinivasan, Venkatesh; Reddy, Narendra; Manohar, Chelli Sai; Vedarajan, Raman; Mastumi, Noriyoshi; Belliraj, Siva Kumar; Ramamurthy, Sai Sathish

2017-10-01

We report the use of silver decorated plant proteins as spacer material for augmented surface plasmon-coupled emission (120-fold enhancement) and plasmon-enhanced Raman scattering. We extracted several proteins from different plant sources [Triticum aestivum (TA), Aegle marmelos (AM), Ricinus communis (RC), Jatropha curcas (JC) and Simarouba glauca (SG)] followed by evaluation of their optical properties and simulations to rationalize observed surface plasmon resonance. Since the properties exhibited by protein thin films is currently gaining research interest, we have also carried out simulation studies with Ag-protein biocomposites as spacer materials in metal-dielectric-metal planar microcavity architecture for guided emission of Fabry-Perot mode-coupled fluorescence.

Measurements of the intrinsic quantum efficiency and absorption length of tetraphenyl butadiene thin films in the vacuum ultraviolet regime

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Benson, Christopher; Gann, Gabriel Orebi; Gehman, Victor

2018-04-01

A key enabling technology for many liquid noble gas (LNG) detectors is the use of the common wavelength shifting medium tetraphenyl butadiene (TPB). TPB thin films are used to shift ultraviolet scintillation light into the visible spectrum for detection and event reconstruction. Understanding the wavelength shifting efficiency and optical properties of these films are critical aspects in detector performance and modeling and hence in the ultimate physics sensitivity of such experiments. This article presents the first measurements of the room-temperature microphysical quantum efficiency for vacuum-deposited TPB thin films - a result that is independent of the optics of the TPB or substrate. Also presented are measurements of the absorption length in the vacuum ultraviolet regime, the secondary re-emission efficiency, and more precise results for the "black-box" efficiency across a broader spectrum of wavelengths than previous results. The low-wavelength sensitivity, in particular, would allow construction of LNG scintillator detectors with lighter elements (Ne, He) to target light mass WIMPs.

Optical and electrical properties of sol-gel spin coated titanium dioxide thin films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sahoo, Anusuya; Jayakrishnan, A. R.; Kamakshi, K.; Silva, J. P. B.; Sekhar, K. C.; Gomes, M. J. M.

2017-08-01

In this work; TiO2 thin films were deposited on glass and stainless steel substrates by sol-gel spin coating method. The films deposited on glass were annealed at different temperatures (Ta) in the range of 200 to 500 0C and that are deposited on steel substrate were annealed at 800 0C. The optical properties of TiO2 thin films were studied by using UV-VIS spectroscopy and photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy. The transmittance on the average was found to ≥ 80 % and is found to sensitive to Ta. The PL spectra exhibited the strong emission band associated with band- to- band transition around 390 nm and the two weak bands at 480 and 510 nm associated to the oxygen defects and surface defects respectively. The current-voltage (I-V) characteristics of the Al/TiO2/steel capacitors were studied and analysed with application of various current mechanisms. Analysis reveals that the conduction in Al/TiO2/steel capacitors is governed by Poole-Frenkel mechanism.

HST Spatially Resolved Spectra of the Accretion Disc and Gas Stream of the Nova-Like Variable UX Ursae Majoris

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Baptista, Raymundo; Horne, Keith; Wade, Richard A.; Hubeny, Ivan; Long, Knox S.; Rutten, Rene G. M.

1998-01-01

Time-resolved eclipse spectroscopy of the nova-like variable UX UMa obtained with the Hubble Space Telescope/Faint Object Spectrograph (HST/FOS) on 1994 August and November is analysed with eclipse mapping techniques to produce spatially resolved spectra of its accretion disk and gas stream as a function of distance from the disk centre. The inner accretion disk is characterized by a blue continuum filled with absorption bands and lines, which cross over to emission with increasing disk radius, similar to that reported at optical wavelengths. The comparison of spatially resolved spectra at different azimuths reveals a significant asymmetry in the disk emission at ultraviolet (UV) wavelengths, with the disk side closest to the secondary star showing pronounced absorption by an 'iron curtain' and a Balmer jump in absorption. These results suggest the existence of an absorbing ring of cold gas whose density and/or vertical scale increase with disk radius. The spectrum of the infalling gas stream is noticeably different from the disc spectrum at the same radius suggesting that gas overflows through the impact point at the disk rim and continues along the stream trajectory, producing distinct emission down to 0.1 R(sub LI). The spectrum of the uneclipsed light shows prominent emission lines of Lyalpha, N v lambda1241, SiIV Lambda 1400, C IV Lambda 1550, HeII Lambda 1640, and MgII Lambda 2800, and a UV continuum rising towards longer wavelengths. The Balmer jump appears clearly in emission indicating that the uneclipsed light has an important contribution from optically thin gas. The lines and optically thin continuum emission are most probably emitted in a vertically extended disk chromosphere + wind. The radial temperature profiles of the continuum maps are well described by a steady-state disc model in the inner and intermediate disk regions (R greater than or equal to 0.3R(sub LI) ). There is evidence of an increase in the mass accretion rate from August to November (from V = 10 (exp -8.3 +/-0.1) to 10(exp -8.1 +/- 0.1 solar mass yr(exp -1)), in accordance with the observed increase in brightness. Since the UX UMA disc seems to be in a high mass accretion, high-viscosity regime in both epochs, this result suggests that the mass transfer rate of UX UMA varies substantially (approximately equal to 50 per cent) on time-scales of a few months. It is suggested that the reason for the discrepancies between the prediction of the standard disk model and observations is not an inadequate treatment of radiative transfer in the disc atmosphere, but rather the presence of addition important sources of light in the system besides the accretion disk (e.g., optically thin contiuum emission from the disk wind and possible absorption by circumstellar cool gas).

Structural, Electrical and Optical Properties of Cd Doped ZnO Thin Films by Reactive dc Magnetron Sputtering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kumar, A. Guru Sampath; Obulapathi, L.; Sarmash, T. Sofi; Rani, D. Jhansi; Maddaiah, M.; Rao, T. Subba; Asokan, K.

2015-04-01

Thin films of cadmium (Cd) (0 wt.%, 2 wt.%, 4 wt.% and 10 wt.%) doped zinc oxide (ZnO) have been deposited on a glass substrate by reactive DC magnetron sputtering. The synthesized films are characterized by glancing angle x-ray diffraction (GAXRD), UV-Vis-NIR spectroscopy, four probe resistivity measurement, Hall measurement system, field emission-scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive analysis by x-rays. A systematic study has been made on the structure, electrical and optical properties of Cd doped ZnO thin films as a function of Cd concentration (0 wt.%, 2 wt.%, 4 wt.% and 10 wt.%). All these films have a hexagonal wurtzite ZnO structure with (0 0 2) orientation without any Cd related phase from the GAXRD patterns. The grain size was increased and maximum appears at 4 wt.% Cd concentration. The electrical resistivity of the films decreased with the Cd doping and minimum resistivity was observed at 4 wt.% Cd concentration. UV-Vis-NIR studies showed that the optical band gap of ZnO (3.37 eV) was reduced to 3.10 eV which is at 4 wt.% Cd concentration.

Use of sol-gels as solid matrixes for simultaneous multielement determination by radio frequency glow discharge optical emission spectrometry: determinations of suspended particulate matter.

PubMed

Davis, W Clay; Knippel, Brad C; Cooper, Julia E; Spraul, Bryan K; Rice, Jeanette K; Smith, Dennis W; Marcus, R Kenneth

2003-05-15

A new approach for the analysis of particulate matter by radio frequency glow discharge optical emission spectrometry (rf-GD-OES) is described. Dispersion of the particles in a sol-gel sample matrix provides a convenient means of generating a thin film suitable for sputter-sampling into the discharge. Acid-catalyzed sol-gel glasses synthesized from tetramethyl orthosilicate were prepared and spun-cast on glass substrates. The resultant thin films on glass substrates were analyzed to determine the discharge operating conditions and resultant sputtering characteristics while a number of optical emission lines of the film components were monitored. Slurries of powdered standard reference materials NIST SRM 1884a (Portland Cement) and NIST SRM 2690 (Coal Fly Ash) dispersed in the sols were cast into films in the same manner. Use of the sol-gels as sample matrixes allows for background subtraction through the use of analytical blanks and may facilitate the generation of calibration curves via readily synthesized, matrix-matched analytical standards in solids analysis. Detection limits were determined for minor elements via the RSDB method to be in the range of 1-10 microg/g in Portland Cement and Coal Fly Ash samples for the elements Al, Fe, Mg, S, and Si. Values for Ca were in the range of 15-35 microg/g. This preliminary study demonstrates the possibility of incorporating various insoluble species, including ceramics and geological specimens in powder form, into a solid matrix for further analysis by either rf-GD-OES or MS.

GaAs/GaP quantum dots: Ensemble of direct and indirect heterostructures with room temperature optical emission

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Dadgostar, S.; Mogilatenko, A.; Masselink, W. T.

2016-03-07

We describe the optical emission and the carrier dynamics of an ensemble of self-assembled GaAs quantum dots embedded in GaP(001). The QD formation is driven by the 3.6% lattice mismatch between GaAs and GaP in the Stranski-Krastanow mode after deposition of more than 1.2 monolayers of GaAs. The quantum dots have an areal density between 6 and 7.6 × 10{sup 10} per cm{sup −2} and multimodal size distribution. The luminescence spectra show two peaks in the range of 1.7 and 2.1 eV. The samples with larger quantum dots have red emission and show less thermal quenching compared with the samples with smaller QDs.more » The large QDs luminescence up to room temperature. We attribute the high energy emission to indirect carrier recombination in the thin quantum wells or small strained quantum dots, whereas the low energy red emission is due to the direct electron-hole recombination in the relaxed quantum dots.« less

Influence of precursor concentration on physical properties of CdO thin films prepared by spray pyrolysis technique using nebulizer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anitha, M.; Amalraj, L.; Anitha, N.

2017-12-01

Cadmium oxide (CdO) thin films were prepared with different concentrations of precursor solution (0.05, 0.1, 0.15, 0.2 and 0.25 M, respectively) at the optimized temperature (200 °C) using the nebulized spray pyrolysis technique to obtain better crystallinity in polycrystalline thin films on amorphous glass substrates. The XRD characterization of those samples revealed a preferential orientation along the (111) plane having a cubic structure. The scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis displayed that all the as-deposited thin films have spherical shaped grains. The transmittance of the as-deposited CdO thin films had decreased from 88 to 71% for longer wavelength regions (600-900 nm) as the precursor concentration had increased and then increased for higher precursor concentration. The optical band gap was found to lie between 2.45 and 2.40 eV belonging to direct transition for those thin films. The presence of Cd-O bond (540 cm-1) was confirmed by FTIR spectrum. The emission properties of CdO thin films were studied by luminescence spectrum recorded at room temperature. A maximum carrier concentration and minimum resistivity values of 4.743 × 1019 cm- 3 and 1.06 × 10-3 Ω-cm, respectively, were obtained for 0.2 M precursor concentration. These CdO thin films have high optical transmittance and high room temperature conductivity, which can be used as the TCO and Solar cell (window layer) material.

Optical and structural behaviors of crosslinked polyvinyl alcohol thin films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pandit, Subhankar; Kundu, Sarathi

2018-04-01

Polyvinyl Alcohol (PVA) has excellent properties like uniaxial tensile stress, chemical resistance, biocompatibility, etc. The properties of PVA further can be tuned by crosslinking process. In this work, a simple heat treatment method is used to find out the optimum crosslinking of PVA and the corresponding structural and optical responses are explored. The PVA crosslinking is done by exposing the films at different temperatures and time intervals. The optical property of pure and heat treated PVA films are investigated by UV-Vis absorption and photoluminescence emission spectroscopy and structural modifications are studied by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR). The absorption peaks of pure PVA are observed at ≈ 280 and 335 nm and the corresponding emission is observed at ≈ 424 nm. The pure PVA showed modified optical behaviors after the heat treatment. In addition, dipping the PVA films in hot water (85°C) for nearly 20 minutes also show impact on both structural and optical properties. From FTIR spectroscopy, the changes in vibrational band positions confirm the structural modifications of PVA films.

Field emission from ZnS nanorods synthesized by radio frequency magnetron sputtering technique

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ghosh, P. K.; Maiti, U. N.; Jana, S.; Chattopadhyay, K. K.

2006-11-01

The field emission property of zinc sulphides nanorods synthesized in the thin film form on Si substrates has been studied. It is seen that ZnS nanorod thin films showed good field emission properties with a low-macroscopic turn-on field (2.9-6.3 V/μm). ZnS nanorods were synthesized by using radio frequency magnetron sputtering of a polycrystalline prefabricated ZnS target at a relatively higher pressure (10 -1 mbar) and at a lower substrate temperature (233-273 K) without using any catalyst. Transmission electron microscopic image showed the formation of ZnS nanorods with high aspect ratio (>60). The field emission data were analysed using Fowler-Nordhiem theory and the nearly straight-line nature of the F-N plots confirmed cold field emission of electrons. It was also found that the turn-on field decreased with the decrease of nanorod's diameters. The optical properties of the ZnS nanorods were also studied. From the measurements of transmittance of the films deposited on glass substrates, the direct allowed bandgap values have been calculated and they were in the range 3.83-4.03 eV. The thickness of the films was ˜600 nm.

Carbon-bridged oligo(p-phenylenevinylene)s for photostable and broadly tunable, solution-processable thin film organic lasers

PubMed Central

Morales-Vidal, Marta; Boj, Pedro G.; Villalvilla, José M.; Quintana, José A.; Yan, Qifan; Lin, Nai-Ti; Zhu, Xiaozhang; Ruangsupapichat, Nopporn; Casado, Juan; Tsuji, Hayato; Nakamura, Eiichi; Díaz-García, María A.

2015-01-01

Thin film organic lasers represent a new generation of inexpensive, mechanically flexible devices for spectroscopy, optical communications and sensing. For this purpose, it is desired to develop highly efficient, stable, wavelength-tunable and solution-processable organic laser materials. Here we report that carbon-bridged oligo(p-phenylenevinylene)s serve as optimal materials combining all these properties simultaneously at the level required for applications by demonstrating amplified spontaneous emission and distributed feedback laser devices. A series of six compounds, with the repeating unit from 1 to 6, doped into polystyrene films undergo amplified spontaneous emission from 385 to 585 nm with remarkably low threshold and high net gain coefficients, as well as high photostability. The fabricated lasers show narrow linewidth (<0.13 nm) single mode emission at very low thresholds (0.7 kW cm−2), long operational lifetimes (>105 pump pulses for oligomers with three to six repeating units) and wavelength tunability across the visible spectrum (408–591 nm). PMID:26416643

Profiling of patterned metal layers by laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bi, Melody; Ruiz, Antonio M.; Gornushkin, Igor; Smith, Ben W.; Winefordner, James D.

2000-02-01

Laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) was used for profiling patterned thin metal layers on a polymer/silicon substrate. The parameters of the laser and ICP-MS operating conditions have been studied and optimized for this purpose. A new laser ablation chamber was designed and built to achieve the best spatial resolution. The results of the profiling by LA-ICP-MS were compared to those obtained from a laser ablation optical emission spectrometry (LA-OES) instrument, which measured the emission of the plasma at the sample surface, and thus, eliminated the time delay caused by the sample transport into the ICP-MS system. Emission spectra gave better spatial resolution than mass spectra. However, LA-ICP-MS provided much better sensitivity and was able to profile thin metal layers (on the order of a few nanometers) on the silicon surface. A lateral spatial resolution of 45 μm was achieved.

Influence of Heat Treatment Conditions on the Properties of Vanadium Oxide Thin Films for Thermochromic Applications.

PubMed

Kim, Donguk; Kwon, Samyoung; Park, Young; Boo, Jin-Hyo; Nam, Sang-Hun; Joo, Yang Tae; Kim, Minha; Lee, Jaehyeong

2016-05-01

In present work, the effects of the heat treatment on the structural, optical, and thermochromic properties of vanadium oxide films were investigated. Vanadium dioxide (VO2) thin films were deposited on glass substrate by reactive pulsed DC magnetron sputtering from a vanadium metal target in mixture atmosphere of argon and oxygen gas. Various heat treatment conditions were applied in order to evaluate their influence on the crystal phases formed, surface morphology, and optical properties. The films were characterized by an X-ray diffraction (XRD) in order to investigate the crystal structure and identify the phase change as post-annealing temperature of 500-600 degrees C for 5 minutes. Surface conditions of the obtained VO2(M) films were analyzed by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) and the semiconductor-metal transition (SMT) characteristics of the VO2 films were evaluate by optical spectrophotometry in the UV-VIS-NIR, controlling temperature of the films.

Empirical Temperature Measurement in Protoplanetary Disks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weaver, Erik; Isella, Andrea; Boehler, Yann

2018-02-01

The accurate measurement of temperature in protoplanetary disks is critical to understanding many key features of disk evolution and planet formation, from disk chemistry and dynamics, to planetesimal formation. This paper explores the techniques available to determine temperatures from observations of single, optically thick molecular emission lines. Specific attention is given to issues such as the inclusion of optically thin emission, problems resulting from continuum subtraction, and complications of real observations. Effort is also made to detail the exact nature and morphology of the region emitting a given line. To properly study and quantify these effects, this paper considers a range of disk models, from simple pedagogical models to very detailed models including full radiative transfer. Finally, we show how the use of the wrong methods can lead to potentially severe misinterpretations of data, leading to incorrect measurements of disk temperature profiles. We show that the best way to estimate the temperature of emitting gas is to analyze the line peak emission map without subtracting continuum emission. Continuum subtraction, which is commonly applied to observations of line emission, systematically leads to underestimation of the gas temperature. We further show that once observational effects such as beam dilution and noise are accounted for, the line brightness temperature derived from the peak emission is reliably within 10%–15% of the physical temperature of the emitting region, assuming optically thick emission. The methodology described in this paper will be applied in future works to constrain the temperature, and related physical quantities, in protoplanetary disks observed with ALMA.

Optical characterization of the new nanocomposite SBMA/Eu(TTA)3(Ph3PO)2

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bordian, Olga; Verlan, Victor; Culeac, Ion; Iovu, Mihail; Zubareva, Vera; Nistor, Iurie

2015-02-01

We describe a new nanocomposite material based on the copolymer of styrene with butyl methacrylate (1:1) (SBMA), and coordinating compound of Europium(III) Eu(TTA)3(Ph3PO)2. The SBMA/Eu(TTA)3(Ph3PO)2 nanocomposite was prepared by a simple technology and can be obtained in the form of optical fibers, thin films and planar waveguides on various substrates with large area. Experimental results on optical transmission and photoluminescence spectroscopy are presented. The nanocomposite exhibits a strong photoluminescence emission in the range 560-750 nm, with the main photoluminescence band at 613 nm.

The Tuning of Optical Properties of Nanoscale MOFs-Based Thin Film through Post-Modification.

PubMed

Yin, Wenchang; Tao, Cheng-An; Zou, Xiaorong; Wang, Fang; Qu, Tianlian; Wang, Jianfang

2017-08-29

Optical properties, which determine the application of optical devices in different fields, are the most significant properties of optical thin films. In recent years, Metal-organic framework (MOF)-based optical thin films have attracted increasing attention because of their novel optical properties and important potential applications in optical and photoelectric devices, especially optical thin films with tunable optical properties. This study reports the first example of tuning the optical properties of a MOF-based optical thin film via post-modification. The MOF-based optical thin film was composed of NH₂-MIL-53(Al) nanorods (NRs) (MIL: Materials from Institute Lavoisier), and was constructed via a spin-coating method. Three aldehydes with different lengths of carbon chains were chosen to modify the MOF optical thin film to tune their optical properties. After post-modification, the structural color of the NH₂-MIL-53(Al) thin film showed an obvious change from purple to bluish violet and cyan. The reflection spectrum and the reflectivity also altered in different degrees. The effective refractive index ( n eff ) of MOFs thin film can also be tuned from 1.292 to 1.424 at a wavelength of 750 nm. The success of tuning of the optical properties of MOFs thin films through post-modification will make MOFs optical thin films meet different needs of optical properties in various optical and optoelectronic devices.

The Tuning of Optical Properties of Nanoscale MOFs-Based Thin Film through Post-Modification

PubMed Central

Zou, Xiaorong; Wang, Fang; Qu, Tianlian; Wang, Jianfang

2017-01-01

Optical properties, which determine the application of optical devices in different fields, are the most significant properties of optical thin films. In recent years, Metal-organic framework (MOF)-based optical thin films have attracted increasing attention because of their novel optical properties and important potential applications in optical and photoelectric devices, especially optical thin films with tunable optical properties. This study reports the first example of tuning the optical properties of a MOF-based optical thin film via post-modification. The MOF-based optical thin film was composed of NH2-MIL-53(Al) nanorods (NRs) (MIL: Materials from Institute Lavoisier), and was constructed via a spin-coating method. Three aldehydes with different lengths of carbon chains were chosen to modify the MOF optical thin film to tune their optical properties. After post-modification, the structural color of the NH2-MIL-53(Al) thin film showed an obvious change from purple to bluish violet and cyan. The reflection spectrum and the reflectivity also altered in different degrees. The effective refractive index (neff) of MOFs thin film can also be tuned from 1.292 to 1.424 at a wavelength of 750 nm. The success of tuning of the optical properties of MOFs thin films through post-modification will make MOFs optical thin films meet different needs of optical properties in various optical and optoelectronic devices. PMID:28850057

Cadmium sulphide (CdS) thin films deposited by chemical bath deposition (CBD) and dip coating techniques—a comparative study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khimani, Ankurkumar J.; Chaki, Sunil H.; Malek, Tasmira J.; Tailor, Jiten P.; Chauhan, Sanjaysinh M.; Deshpande, M. P.

2018-03-01

The CdS thin films were deposited on glass slide substrates by Chemical Bath Deposition and dip coating techniques. The films thickness variation with deposition time showed maximum films deposition at 35 min for both the films. The energy dispersive analysis of x-ray showed both the films to be stoichiometric. The x-ray diffraction analysis confirmed the films possess hexagonal crystal structure. The transmission electron, scanning electron and optical microscopy study showed the films deposition to be uniform. The selected area electron diffraction exhibited ring patterns stating the films to be polycrystalline in nature. The atomic force microscopy images showed surface formed of spherical grains, hills and valleys. The recorded optical absorbance spectra analysis revealed the films possess direct optical bandgap having values of 2.25 eV for CBD and 2.40 eV for dip coating. The refractive index (η), extinction coefficient (k), complex dielectric constant (ε) and optical conductivity (σ 0) variation with wavelength showed maximum photon absorption till the respective wavelengths corresponding to the optical bandgap energy values. The recorded photoluminescence spectra showed two emission peaks. All the obtained results have been discussed in details.

Atomic hydrogen and diatomic titanium-monoxide molecular spectroscopy in laser-induced plasma

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Parigger, Christian G.; Woods, Alexander C.

2017-03-01

This article gives a brief review of experimental studies of hydrogen Balmer series emission spectra. Ongoing research aims to evaluate early plasma evolution following optical breakdown in laboratory air. Of interest is as well laser ablation of metallic titanium and characterization of plasma evolution. Emission of titanium monoxide is discussed together with modeling of diatomic spectra to infer temperature. The behavior of titanium particles in plasma draws research interests ranging from the modeling of stellar atmospheres to the enhancement of thin film production via pulsed laser deposition.

Optical and structural properties of sputtered CdS films for thin film solar cell applications

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kim, Donguk; Park, Young; Kim, Minha

2015-09-15

Graphical abstract: Photo current–voltage curves (a) and the quantum efficiency (QE) (b) for the solar cell with CdS film grown at 300 °C. - Highlights: • CdS thin films were grown by a RF magnetron sputtering method. • Influence of growth temperature on the properties of CdS films was investigated. • At higher T{sub g}, the crystallinity of the films improved and the grains enlarged. • CdS/CdTe solar cells with efficiencies of 9.41% were prepared at 300 °C. - Abstract: CdS thin films were prepared by radio frequency magnetron sputtering at various temperatures. The effects of growth temperature on crystallinity,more » surface morphology and optical properties of the films were characterized with X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), Raman spectra, UV–visible spectrophotometry, and photoluminescence (PL) spectra. As the growth temperature was increased, the crystallinity of the sputtered CdS films was improved and the grains were enlarged. The characteristics of CdS/CdTe thin film solar cell appeared to be significantly influenced by the growth temperature of the CdS films. Thin film CdS/CdTe solar cells with efficiencies of 9.41% were prepared at a growth temperature of 300 °C.« less

Compensation of optical heterogeneity-induced artifacts in fluorescence molecular tomography: theory and in vivo validation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mohajerani, Pouyan; Adibi, Ali; Kempner, Joshua; Yared, Wael

2009-05-01

We present a method for reduction of image artifacts induced by the optical heterogeneities of tissue in fluorescence molecular tomography (FMT) through identification and compensation of image regions that evidence propagation of emission light through thin or low-absorption tunnels in tissue. The light tunneled as such contributes to the emission image as spurious components that might substantially overwhelm the desirable fluorescence emanating from the targeted lesions. The proposed method makes use of the strong spatial correlation between the emission and excitation images to estimate the tunneled components and yield a residual image that mainly consists of the signal due to the desirable fluorescence. This residual image is further refined using a coincidence mask constructed for each excitation-emission image pair. The coincidence mask is essentially a map of the ``hot spots'' that occur in both excitation and emission images, as such areas are often associated with tunneled emission. In vivo studies are performed on a human colon adenocarcinoma xenograft tumor model with subcutaneous tumors and a murine breast adenocarcinoma model with aggressive tumor cell metastasis and growth in the lungs. Results demonstrate significant improvements in the reconstructions achieved by the proposed method.

Fabrication and comparison of selective, transparent optics for concentrating solar systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Taylor, Robert A.; Hewakuruppu, Yasitha; DeJarnette, Drew; Otanicar, Todd P.

2015-09-01

Concentrating optics enable solar thermal energy to be harvested at high temperature (<100oC). As the temperature of the receiver increases, radiative losses can become dominant. In many concentrating systems, the receiver is coated with a selectively absorbing surface (TiNOx, Black Chrome, etc.) to obtain higher efficiency. Commercial absorber coatings are well-developed to be highly absorbing for short (solar) wavelengths, but highly reflective at long (thermal emission) wavelengths. If a solar system requires an analogous transparent, non-absorbing optic - i.e. a cover material which is highly transparent at short wavelengths, but highly reflective at long wavelengths - the technology is simply not available. Low-e glass technology represents a commercially viable option for this sector, but it has only been optimized for visible light transmission. Optically thin metal hole-arrays are another feasible solution, but are often difficult to fabricate. This study investigates combinations of thin film coatings of transparent conductive oxides and nanoparticles as a potential low cost solution for selective solar covers. This paper experimentally compares readily available materials deposited on various substrates and ranks them via an `efficiency factor for selectivity', which represents the efficiency of radiative exchange in a solar collector. Out of the materials studied, indium tin oxide and thin films of ZnS-Ag-ZnS represent the most feasible solutions for concentrated solar systems. Overall, this study provides an engineering design approach and guide for creating scalable, selective, transparent optics which could potentially be imbedded within conventional low-e glass production techniques.

Understanding of gas phase deposition of reactive magnetron sputtered TiO2 thin films and its correlation with bactericidal efficiency

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Panda, A. B.; Mahapatra, S. K.; Barhai, P. K.; Das, A. K.; Banerjee, I.

2012-10-01

Nanostructured TiO2 thin films were deposited using RF reactive magnetron sputtering at different O2 flow rates (20, 30, 50 and 60 sccm) and constant RF power of 200 W. In situ investigation of the nucleation and growth of the films was made by Optical Emission Spectroscopy (OES). The nano amorphous nature as revealed from X-ray diffraction (XRD) of the as deposited films and abundance of the Ti3+ surface oxidation states and surface hydroxyl group (OH-) in the films deposited at 50 sccm as determined from X-ray photo electron spectroscopy (XPS) was explained on the basis of emission spectra studies. The increase in band gap and decrease in particle size with O2 flow rate was observed from transmission spectra of UV-vis spectroscopy. Photoinduced hydrophilicity has been studied using Optical Contact Angle (OCA) measurement. The post irradiated films showed improved hydrophilicity. The bactericidal efficiency of these films was investigated taking Escherichia coli as model bacteria. The films deposited at 50 sccm shows better bactericidal activity as revealed from the optical density (OD) measurement. The qualitative analysis of the bactericidal efficiency was depicted from Scanning Electron Microscope images. A correlation between bactericidal efficiency and the deposited film has been established and explained on the basis of nucleation growth, band gap and hydrophilicity of the films.

Effects of an external magnetic field in pulsed laser deposition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

García, T.; de Posada, E.; Villagrán, M.; Ll, J. L. Sánchez; Bartolo-Pérez, P.; Peña, J. L.

2008-12-01

Thin films were grown by pulsed laser deposition, PLD, on Si (1 0 0) substrates by the ablation of a sintered ceramic SrFe 12O 19 target with and without the presence of a nonhomogeneous magnetic field of μ0H = 0.4 T perpendicular to substrate plane and parallel to the plasma expansion axis. The field was produced by a rectangular-shaped Nd-Fe-B permanent magnet and the substrate was just placed on the magnet surface (Aurora method). An appreciable increment of optical emission due to the presence of the magnetic field was observed, but no film composition change or thickness increment was obtained. It suggests that the increment of the optical emission is due mainly to the electron confinement rather than confinement of ionic species.

Synthesis of Nanocrystalline SnOx (x = 1–2) Thin Film Using a Chemical Bath Deposition Method with Improved Deposition Time, Temperature and pH

PubMed Central

Ebrahimiasl, Saeideh; Yunus, Wan Md. Zin Wan; Kassim, Anuar; Zainal, Zulkarnain

2011-01-01

Nanocrystalline SnOx (x = 1–2) thin films were prepared on glass substrates by a simple chemical bath deposition method. Triethanolamine was used as complexing agent to decrease time and temperature of deposition and shift the pH of the solution to the noncorrosive region. The films were characterized for composition, surface morphology, structure and optical properties. X-ray diffraction analysis confirms that SnOx thin films consist of a polycrystalline structure with an average grain size of 36 nm. Atomic force microscopy studies show a uniform grain distribution without pinholes. The elemental composition was evaluated by energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. The average O/Sn atomic percentage ratio is 1.72. Band gap energy and optical transition were determined from optical absorbance data. The film was found to exhibit direct and indirect transitions in the visible spectrum with band gap values of about 3.9 and 3.7 eV, respectively. The optical transmittance in the visible region is 82%. The SnOx nanocrystals exhibit an ultraviolet emission band centered at 392 nm in the vicinity of the band edge, which is attributed to the well-known exciton transition in SnOx. Photosensitivity was detected in the positive region under illumination with white light. PMID:22163690

Characterization of pulsed metallic hydride vacuum arc discharge plasmas by optical emission spectroscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tang, Jian; Deng, Chunfeng; Wu, Chunlei; Lu, Biao; Hu, Yonghong

2017-12-01

The characteristics of plasmas in a titanium hydride vacuum arc ion source were experimentally investigated by a temporally- and spatially-integrated optical emission spectroscopy method. A plasma emission spectral fitting model was developed to calculate the plasmas temperature and relative density of each particle component, assuming plasmas were in local thermodynamic equilibrium state and optical thin in this study. The good agreement was founded between the predicted and measured spectra in the interesting regions of 330-340 nm and 498-503 nm for Ti+ ion and Ti atom respectively, while varying the plasma temperature and density. Compared with conventional Boltzmann plot method, this method, therefore, made a significant improvement on the plasma diagnosis in dealing with the spectral profile with many lines overlapped. At the same time, to understand the mechanism of the occluded-gas vacuum arc discharge plasmas, the plasmas emission spectra, ion relative density, and temperature with different discharge conditions were studied. The results indicated that the rate of Ti metal evaporation and H desorption from the electrode would be enhanced with arc current, and the ionization temperature increased with the feed-in power of arc discharge, leading more H+ and Ti+ ions, but reducing the H+ proportion in arc discharged plasmas.

Radio Flares from Gamma-ray Bursts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kopač, D.; Mundell, C. G.; Kobayashi, S.; Virgili, F. J.; Harrison, R.; Japelj, J.; Guidorzi, C.; Melandri, A.; Gomboc, A.

2015-06-01

We present predictions of centimeter and millimeter radio emission from reverse shocks (RSs) in the early afterglows of gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) with the goal of determining their detectability with current and future radio facilities. Using a range of GRB properties, such as peak optical brightness and time, isotropic equivalent gamma-ray energy, and redshift, we simulate radio light curves in a framework generalized for any circumburst medium structure and including a parameterization of the shell thickness regime that is more realistic than the simple assumption of thick- or thin-shell approximations. Building on earlier work by Mundell et al. and Melandri et al. in which the typical frequency of the RS was suggested to lie at radio rather than optical wavelengths at early times, we show that the brightest and most distinct RS radio signatures are detectable up to 0.1-1 day after the burst, emphasizing the need for rapid radio follow-up. Detection is easier for bursts with later optical peaks, high isotropic energies, lower circumburst medium densities, and at observing frequencies that are less prone to synchrotron self-absorption effects—typically above a few GHz. Given recent detections of polarized prompt gamma-ray and optical RS emission, we suggest that detection of polarized radio/millimeter emission will unambiguously confirm the presence of low-frequency RSs at early time.

Accretion states in X-ray binaries and their connection to GeV emission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Koerding, Elmar

Accretion onto compact objects is intrinsically a multi-wavelength phenomenon: it shows emis-sion components visible from the radio to GeV bands. In X-ray binaries one can well observe the evolution of a single source under changes of the accretion rate and thus study the interplay between the different emission components.I will introduce the phenomenology of X-ray bina-ries and their accretion states and present our current understanding of the interplay between the optically thin and optically thick part of the accretion flow and the jet.The recent detection of the Fermi Large Area Telescope of a variable high-energy source coinciding with the position of the x-ray binary Cygnus X-3 will be presented. Its identification with Cygnus X-3 has been secured by the detection of its orbital period in gamma rays, as well as the correlation of the LAT flux with radio emission from the relativistic jets of Cygnus X-3. This will be interpreted in the context of the accretion states of the X-ray binary.

Single optical fiber probe for optogenetics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Falk, Ryan; Habibi, Mohammad; Pashaie, Ramin

2012-03-01

With the advent of optogenetics, all optical control and visualization of the activity of specific cell types is possible. We have developed a fiber optic based probe to control/visualize neuronal activity deep in the brain of awake behaving animals. In this design a thin multimode optical fiber serves as the head of the probe to be inserted into the brain. This fiber is used to deliver excitation/stimulation optical pulses and guide a sample of the emission signal back to a detector. The major trade off in the design of such a system is to decrease the size of the fiber and intensity of input light to minimize physical damage and to avoid photobleaching/phototoxicity but to keep the S/N reasonably high. Here the excitation light, and the associated emission signal, are frequency modulated. Then the output of the detector is passed through a time-lens which compresses the distributed energy of the emission signal and maximizes the instantaneous S/N. By measuring the statistics of the noise, the structure of the time lens can be designed to achieve the global optimum of S/N. Theoretically, the temporal resolution of the system is only limited by the time lens diffraction limit. By adding a second detector, we eliminated the effect of input light fluctuations, imperfection of the optical filters, and back-reflection of the excitation light. We have also designed fibers and micro mechanical assemblies for distributed delivery and detection of light.

Surface plasmon-assisted microscope.

PubMed

Borejdo, Julian; Gryczynski, Zygmunt; Fudala, Rafal; Joshi, Chaitanya R; Borgmann, Kathleen; Ghorpade, Anuja; Gryczynski, Ignacy

2018-06-01

Total internal reflection microscopy (TIRF) has been a powerful tool in biological research. The most valuable feature of the method has been the ability to image 100- to 200-nm-thick layer of cell features adjacent to a coverslip, such as membrane lipids, membrane receptors, and structures proximal-to-basal membranes. Here, we demonstrate an alternative method of imaging thin-layer proximal-to-basal membranes by placing a sample on a high refractive index coverslip covered by a thin layer of gold. The sample is illuminated using the Kretschmann method (i.e., from the top to an aqueous medium). Fluorophores that are close to the metal surface induce surface plasmons in the metal film. Fluorescence from fluorophores near the metal surface couple with surface plasmons allowing them to penetrate the metal surface and emerge at a surface plasmon coupled emission angle. The thickness of the detection layer is further reduced in comparison with TIRF by metal quenching of fluorophores at a close proximity (below 10 nm) to a surface. Fluorescence is collected by a high NA objective and imaged by EMCCD or converted to a signal by avalanche photodiode fed by a single-mode optical fiber inserted in the conjugate image plane of the objective. The system avoids complications of through-the-objective TIRF associated with shared excitation and emission light path, has thin collection thickness, produces excellent background rejection, and is an effective method to study molecular motion. (2018) COPYRIGHT Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE).

A Numerical Investigation of the Extinction of Low Strain Rate Diffusion Flames by an Agent in Microgravity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Puri, Ishwar K.

2004-01-01

Our goal has been to investigate the influence of both dilution and radiation on the extinction process of nonpremixed flames at low strain rates. Simulations have been performed by using a counterflow code and three radiation models have been included in it, namely, the optically thin, the narrowband, and discrete ordinate models. The counterflow flame code OPPDIFF was modified to account for heat transfer losses by radiation from the hot gases. The discrete ordinate method (DOM) approximation was first suggested by Chandrasekhar for solving problems in interstellar atmospheres. Carlson and Lathrop developed the method for solving multi-dimensional problem in neutron transport. Only recently has the method received attention in the field of heat transfer. Due to the applicability of the discrete ordinate method for thermal radiation problems involving flames, the narrowband code RADCAL was modified to calculate the radiative properties of the gases. A non-premixed counterflow flame was simulated with the discrete ordinate method for radiative emissions. In comparison with two other models, it was found that the heat losses were comparable with the optically thin and simple narrowband model. The optically thin model had the highest heat losses followed by the DOM model and the narrow-band model.

The Ly(alpha) Line Profiles of Ultraluminous Infrared Galaxies: Fast Winds and Lyman Continuum Leakage

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Martin, Crystal L.; Dijkstra, Mark; Henry, Alaina L.; Soto, Kurt T.; Danforth, Charles W.; Wong, Joseph

2015-01-01

We present new Hubble Space Telescope Cosmic Origins Spectrograph far-ultraviolet (far-UV) spectroscopy and Keck Echellete optical spectroscopy of 11 ultraluminous infrared galaxies (ULIRGs), a rare population of local galaxies experiencing massive gas inflows, extreme starbursts, and prominent outflows. We detect Ly(alpha) emission from eight ULIRGs and the companion to IRAS09583+4714. In contrast to the P Cygni profiles often seen in galaxy spectra, the Ly(alpha) profiles exhibit prominent, blueshifted emission out to Doppler shifts exceeding -1000 km/s in three H II-dominated and two AGN-dominated ULIRGs. To better understand the role of resonance scattering in shaping the Ly(alpha) line profiles, we directly compare them to non-resonant emission lines in optical spectra. We find that the line wings are already present in the intrinsic nebular spectra, and scattering merely enhances the wings relative to the line core. The Ly(alpha) attenuation (as measured in the COS aperture) ranges from that of the far-UV continuum to over 100 times more. A simple radiative transfer model suggests the Ly(alpha) photons escape through cavities which have low column densities of neutral hydrogen and become optically thin to the Lyman continuum in the most advanced mergers. We show that the properties of the highly blueshifted line wings on the Ly(alpha) and optical emission-line profiles are consistent with emission from clumps of gas condensing out of a fast, hot wind. The luminosity of the Ly(alpha) emission increases nonlinearly with the ULIRG bolometric luminosity and represents about 0.1-1% of the radiative cooling from the hot winds in the H II-dominated ULIRGs.

Multicolor emission from large-area porous thin films constructed of nanowires of small organic molecules

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Zhe-Chen; Xiao, Wen-Chang; Ding, Xun-Lei; Ma, Yan-Ping; Xue, Wei; He, Sheng-Gui

2008-12-01

We describe a facile low-temperature physical vapor deposition approach to fabricate porous network thin films constructed of nanowires of small organic molecules on a large area. Supermolecular assemblies of pyrene nanowires based on a combination of van der Waals forces and π-π stacking tend to hierarchically self-assemble to form uniform porous films using our techniques. The morphology of the films is studied and we also study several reasons influencing the process of assembly such as evaporation temperature, deposition temperature, and different kinds of substrate. The deposition temperature is determined to be the main reason for hierarchical aggregation. Typically prepared films exhibit unique optical properties, that is, multicolor red-green-blue emissions. This novel method can be applied to other organic molecular systems and may be potentially used to place nanoscaled building blocks directly on solid surfaces for fabricating large-area nanostructure-based flat screens.

Structural and optical properties of magnetron sputtered MgxZn1-xO thin films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kumar, Sanjeev; Gupte, Vinay; Sreenivas, K.

2006-04-01

MgxZn1-xO (MZO) thin films prepared by an rf magnetron sputtering technique are reported. The films were grown at room temperature and at relatively low rf power of 50 W. MZO thin films were found to possess preferred c-axis orientation and exhibited hexagonal wurtzite structure of ZnO up to a Mg concentration of 42 mol%. A small variation in the c-axis lattice parameter of around 0.3% was observed with increasing Mg composition, showing the complete solubility of Mg in ZnO. The band gap of the MZO films in the wurtzite phase varied linearly with the Mg concentration and a maximum band gap ~4.19 eV was achieved at x = 0.42. The refractive indices of the MgO films were found to decrease with increasing Mg content. The observed optical dispersion data are in agreement with the single oscillator model. A photoluminescence study revealed a blue shift in the near band edge emission peak with increasing Mg content in the MZO films. The results show the potential of MZO films in various opto-electronic applications.

Interference-enhanced infrared-to-visible upconversion in solid-state thin films sensitized by colloidal nanocrystals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Mengfei; Jean, Joel; Bulović, Vladimir; Baldo, Marc A.

2017-05-01

Infrared-to-visible photon upconversion has potential applications in photovoltaics, sensing, and bioimaging. We demonstrate a solid-state thin-film device that utilizes sensitized triplet-triplet exciton annihilation, converting infrared photons absorbed by colloidal lead sulfide nanocrystals (NCs) into visible photons emitted from a luminescent dopant in rubrene at low incident light intensities. A typical bilayer device consisting of a monolayer of NCs and a doped film of rubrene is limited by low infrared absorption in the thin NC film. Here, we augment the bilayer with an optical spacer layer and a silver-film back reflector, resulting in interference effects that enhance the optical field and thus the absorption in the NC film. The interference-enhanced device shows an order-of-magnitude increase in the upconverted emission at the wavelength of λ = 610 nm when excited at λ = 980 nm. At incident light intensities above 1.1 W/cm2, the device attains maximum efficiency, converting (1.6 ± 0.2)% of absorbed infrared photons into higher-energy singlet excitons in rubrene.

Structural, optical, and LED characteristics of ZnO and Al doped ZnO thin films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sandeep, K. M.; Bhat, Shreesha; Dharmaprakash, S. M.

2017-05-01

ZnO (pristine) and Al doped ZnO (AZO) films were prepared using sol-gel spin coating method. The XRD analysis showed the enhanced compressive stress in AZO film. The presence of extended states below the conduction band edge in AZO accounts for the redshift in optical bandgap. The PL spectra of AZO showed significant blue emission due to the carrier recombination from defect states. The TRPL curves showed the dominant DAP recombination in ZnO film, whereas defect related recombination in Al doped ZnO film. Color parameters viz: the dominant wavelength, color coordinates (x,y), color purity, luminous efficiency and correlated color temperature (CCT) of ZnO and AZO films are calculated using 1931 (CIE) diagram. Further, a strong blue emission with color purity more than 96% is observed in both the films. The enhanced blue emission in AZO significantly increased the luminous efficiency (22.8%) compared to ZnO film (10.8%). The prepared films may be used as blue phosphors in white light generation.

Thin film DNA-complex-based dye lasers fabricated by immersion and conventional processes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kawabe, Yutaka; Suzuki, Yuki

2017-08-01

DNA based thin film dye laser is one of promising optical devices for future technology. Laser oscillation and amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) were demonstrated by hemicyanine-doped DNA complex films prepared with `immersion method' as well as those made by a conventional way. In the immersion process, DNA-surfactant complex films were stained by immersion into an acetone solution including the dyes. In this study, three types of hemicyanines were incorporated with both methods, and laser oscillation was achieved with optically induced population grating formed in all of the complex films. The laser threshold values for six cases ranged in 0.07 - 0.18 mJ/cm2 , which was close to the best values made in DNA complex matrices. Continual pumping showed that laser oscillation persisted for 4 - 10 minutes. Immersion process gave superior laser capability especially for output efficiency over the conventional counterparts.

Effect of silver thickness on structural, optical and morphological properties of nanocrystalline Ag/NiO thin films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jalili, S.; Hajakbari, F.; Hojabri, A.

2018-03-01

Silver (Ag) nanolayers were deposited on nickel oxide (NiO) thin films by DC magnetron sputtering. The thickness of Ag layers was in range of 20-80 nm by variation of deposition time between 10 and 40 s. X-ray diffraction results showed that the crystalline properties of the Ag/NiO films improved by increasing the Ag film thickness. Also, atomic force microscopy and field emission scanning electron microscopy images demonstrated that the surface morphology of the films was highly affected by film thickness. The film thickness and the size of particles change by elevating the Ag deposition times. The composition of films was determined by Rutherford back scattering spectroscopy. The transmission of light was gradually reduced by augmentation of Ag films thickness. Furthermore; the optical band gap of the films was also calculated from the transmittance spectra.

Band-Gap Engineering in ZnO Thin Films: A Combined Experimental and Theoretical Study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pawar, Vani; Jha, Pardeep K.; Panda, S. K.; Jha, Priyanka A.; Singh, Prabhakar

2018-05-01

Zinc oxide thin films are synthesized and characterized using x-ray diffraction, field-emission scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, and optical spectroscopy. Our results reveal that the structural, morphological, and optical properties are closely related to the stress of the sample provided that the texture of the film remains the same. The anomalous results are obtained once the texture is altered to a different orientation. We support this experimental observation by carrying out first-principles hybrid functional calculations for two different orientations of the sample and show that the effect of quantum confinement is much stronger for the (100) surface than the (001) surface of ZnO. Furthermore, our calculations provide a route to enhance the band gap of ZnO by more than 50% compared to the bulk band gap, opening up possibilities for wide-range industrial applications.

Study of structural and optical properties of ZnS zigzag nanostructured thin films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rahchamani, Seyyed Zabihollah; Rezagholipour Dizaji, Hamid; Ehsani, Mohammad Hossein

2015-11-01

Zinc sulfide (ZnS) nanostructured thin films of different thicknesses with zigzag shapes have been deposited on glass substrates by glancing angle deposition (GLAD) technique. Employing a homemade accessory attached to the substrate holder enabled the authors to control the substrate temperature and substrate angle. The prepared samples were subjected to X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM) and UV-VIS. spectroscopy techniques. The structural studies revealed that the film deposited at room temperature crystallized in cubic structure. The FESEM images of the samples confirmed the formation of zigzag nano-columnar shape with mean diameter about 60-80 nm. By using the data obtained from optical studies, the real part of the refractive index (n), the absorption coefficient (α) and the band gap (Eg) of the samples were calculated. The results show that the refractive indices of the prepared films are very sensitive to deposition conditions.

Stimulated parametric emission microscopy.

PubMed

Isobe, Keisuke; Kataoka, Shogo; Murase, Rena; Watanabe, Wataru; Higashi, Tsunehito; Kawakami, Shigeki; Matsunaga, Sachihiro; Fukui, Kiichi; Itoh, Kazuyoshi

2006-01-23

We propose a novel microscopy technique based on the four-wave mixing (FWM) process that is enhanced by two-photon electronic resonance induced by a pump pulse along with stimulated emission induced by a dump pulse. A Ti:sapphire laser and an optical parametric oscillator are used as light sources for the pump and dump pulses, respectively. We demonstrate that our proposed FWM technique can be used to obtain a one-dimensional image of ethanol-thinned Coumarin 120 solution sandwiched between a hole-slide glass and a cover slip, and a two-dimensional image of a leaf of Camellia sinensis.

Microwave and hard X-ray emissions during the impulsive phase of solar flares: Nonthermal electron spectrum and time delay

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gu, Ye-Ming; Li, Chung-Sheng

1986-01-01

On the basis of the summing-up and analysis of the observations and theories about the impulsive microwave and hard X-ray bursts, the correlations between these two kinds of emissions were investigated. It is shown that it is only possible to explain the optically-thin microwave spectrum and its relations with the hard X-ray spectrum by means of the nonthermal source model. A simple nonthermal trap model in the mildly-relativistic case can consistently explain the main characteristics of the spectrum and the relative time delays.

Tuning charge carrier transport and optical birefringence in liquid-crystalline thin films: A new design space for organic light-emitting diodes.

PubMed

Keum, Chang-Min; Liu, Shiyi; Al-Shadeedi, Akram; Kaphle, Vikash; Callens, Michiel Koen; Han, Lu; Neyts, Kristiaan; Zhao, Hongping; Gather, Malte C; Bunge, Scott D; Twieg, Robert J; Jakli, Antal; Lüssem, Björn

2018-01-15

Liquid-crystalline organic semiconductors exhibit unique properties that make them highly interesting for organic optoelectronic applications. Their optical and electrical anisotropies and the possibility to control the alignment of the liquid-crystalline semiconductor allow not only to optimize charge carrier transport, but to tune the optical property of organic thin-film devices as well. In this study, the molecular orientation in a liquid-crystalline semiconductor film is tuned by a novel blading process as well as by different annealing protocols. The altered alignment is verified by cross-polarized optical microscopy and spectroscopic ellipsometry. It is shown that a change in alignment of the liquid-crystalline semiconductor improves charge transport in single charge carrier devices profoundly. Comparing the current-voltage characteristics of single charge carrier devices with simulations shows an excellent agreement and from this an in-depth understanding of single charge carrier transport in two-terminal devices is obtained. Finally, p-i-n type organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) compatible with vacuum processing techniques used in state-of-the-art OLEDs are demonstrated employing liquid-crystalline host matrix in the emission layer.

Amplified emission and modified spectral features in an opal hetero-structure mediated by passive defect mode localization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rout, Dipak; Kumar, Govind; Vijaya, R.

2018-01-01

A photonic crystal hetero-structure consisting of a passive planar defect of SiO2 thin film sandwiched between two identical opals grown by inward growing self-assembly method using Rhodamine-B dye-doped polystyrene microspheres is studied for the characteristics of dye emission. The optical properties and the defect mode characteristics of the hetero-structure are studied from the reflection and transmission measurements. Laser-induced fluorescence from the hetero-structure showed amplified and spectrally narrowed emission compared to the photonic crystal emphasizing the role of the defect mode and distributed feedback. The enhanced emission is also complemented by the reduction in fluorescence decay time in the case of the hetero-structure in comparison to the 3D photonic crystals.

Tunneling-Electron-Induced Light Emission from Single Gold Nanoclusters.

PubMed

Yu, Arthur; Li, Shaowei; Czap, Gregory; Ho, W

2016-09-14

The coupling of tunneling electrons with the tip-nanocluster-substrate junction plasmon was investigated by monitoring light emission in a scanning tunneling microscope (STM). Gold atoms were evaporated onto the ∼5 Å thick Al2O3 thin film grown on the NiAl (110) surface where they formed nanoclusters 3-7 nm wide. Scanning tunneling spectroscopy (STS) of these nanoclusters revealed quantum-confined electronic states. Spatially resolved photon imaging showed localized emission hot spots. Size dependent study and light emission from nanocluster dimers further support the viewpoint that coupling of tunneling electrons to the junction plasmon is the main radiative mechanism. These results showed the potential of the STM to reveal the electronic and optical properties of nanoscale metallic systems in the confined geometry of the tunnel junction.

Characterization of Doped Amorphous Silicon Thin Films through the Investigation of Dopant Elements by Glow Discharge Spectrometry. A Correlation of Conductivity and Bandgap Energy Measurements

PubMed Central

Sánchez, Pascal; Lorenzo, Olaya; Menéndez, Armando; Menéndez, Jose Luis; Gomez, David; Pereiro, Rosario; Fernández, Beatriz

2011-01-01

The determination of optical parameters, such as absorption and extinction coefficients, refractive index and the bandgap energy, is crucial to understand the behavior and final efficiency of thin film solar cells based on hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H). The influence of small variations of the gas flow rates used for the preparation of the p-a-SiC:H layer on the bandgap energy, as well as on the dopant elements concentration, thickness and conductivity of the p-layer, is investigated in this work using several complementary techniques. UV-NIR spectrophotometry and ellipsometry were used for the determination of bandgap energies of four p-a-SiC:H thin films, prepared by using different B2H6 and SiH4 fluxes (B2H6 from 12 sccm to 20 sccm and SiH4 from 6 sccm to 10 sccm). Moreover, radiofrequency glow discharge optical emission spectrometry technique was used for depth profiling characterization of p-a-SiC:H thin films and valuable information about dopant elements concentration and distribution throughout the coating was found. Finally, a direct relationship between the conductivity of p-a-SiC:H thin films and the dopant elements concentration, particularly boron and carbon, was observed for the four selected samples. PMID:21731436

Fabrication of tantalum and nitrogen codoped ZnO (Ta, N-ZnO) thin films using the electrospay: twin applications as an excellent transparent electrode and a field emitter.

PubMed

Mahmood, Khalid; Park, Seung Bin; Sung, Hyung Jin

2013-05-01

The realization of stable p-type nitrogen-doped ZnO thin films with durable and controlled growth is important for the fabrication of nanoscale electronic and optoelectronic devices. ZnO thin films codoped with tantalum and nitrogen (Ta, N-ZnO) were fabricated by using the electrospraying method at an atmospheric pressure. X-ray diffraction (XRD) studies demonstrated that all the prepared films were polycrystalline in nature with hexagonal wurtzite structure. In addition, a shift in the XRD patterns was observed, and the crystal orientation was changed at a certain amount of nitrogen (>6 at.%) in the starting solution. Analysis of X-ray diffraction patterns and X-ray photoelectron spectra revealed that nitrogen which was combined with the zinc atom (N-Zn) was successfully doped into the ZnO crystal lattice. It was also observed that 2 at.% tantalum and 6 at.% nitrogen (2 at.% Ta and 6 at.% N) were the optimal dopant amounts to achieve the minimum resistivity of about 9.70 × 10(-5) Ω cm and the maximum transmittance of 98% in the visible region. Consequently, the field-emission characteristics of such a Ta, N-ZnO emitter can exhibit the higher current density of 1.33 mA cm(-2), larger field-enhancement factor (β) of 4706, lower turn-on field of 2.6 V μm(-1), and lower threshold field of 3.5 V μm(-1) attributed to the enhanced conductivity and better crystallinity of films. Moreover, the obtained values of resistivity were closest to the lowest resistivity values among the doped ZnO films as well as to the indium tin oxide (ITO) resistivity values that were previously studied. We confirmed that the tantalum and nitrogen atoms substitution in the ZnO lattice induced positive effects in terms of enhancing the free carrier concentration which will further improve the electrical, optical, and field-emission properties. The proposed electrospraying method was well suitable for the fabrication of Ta, N-ZnO thin films at optimum conditions with superior electrical, optical, and field-emission characteristics, implying the potential applications as both a transparent electrode and field-emission (FE) devices.

Ground-based remote sensing of thin clouds in the Arctic

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Garrett, T. J.; Zhao, C.

2013-05-01

This paper describes a method for using interferometer measurements of downwelling thermal radiation to retrieve the properties of single-layer clouds. Cloud phase is determined from ratios of thermal emission in three "micro-windows" at 862.5 cm-1, 935.8 cm-1, and 988.4 cm-1 where absorption by water vapour is particularly small. Cloud microphysical and optical properties are retrieved from thermal emission in the first two of these micro-windows, constrained by the transmission through clouds of primarily stratospheric ozone emission at 1040 cm-1. Assuming a cloud does not approximate a blackbody, the estimated 95% confidence retrieval errors in effective radius re, visible optical depth τ, number concentration N, and water path WP are, respectively, 10%, 20%, 38% (55% for ice crystals), and 16%. Applied to data from the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement programme (ARM) North Slope of Alaska - Adjacent Arctic Ocean (NSA-AAO) site near Barrow, Alaska, retrievals show general agreement with both ground-based microwave radiometer measurements of liquid water path and a method that uses combined shortwave and microwave measurements to retrieve re, τ and N. Compared to other retrieval methods, advantages of this technique include its ability to characterise thin clouds year round, that water vapour is not a primary source of retrieval error, and that the retrievals of microphysical properties are only weakly sensitive to retrieved cloud phase. The primary limitation is the inapplicability to thicker clouds that radiate as blackbodies and that it relies on a fairly comprehensive suite of ground based measurements.

Fabrication and Characterization of Flexible Organic Light Emitting Diodes Based on Transparent Flexible Clay Substrates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Venkatachalam, Shanmugam; Hayashi, Hiromichi; Ebina, Takeo; Nakamura, Takashi; Nanjo, Hiroshi

2013-03-01

In the present work, transparent flexible polymer-doped clay (P-clay) substrates were prepared for flexible organic light emitting diode (OLED) applications. Nanocrystalline indium tin oxide (ITO) thin films were prepared on P-clay substrates by ion-beam sputter deposition method. The structural, optical, and electrical properties of as-prepared ITO/P-clay showed that the as-prepared ITO thin film was amorphous, and the average optical transparency and sheet resistance were around 84% and 56 Ω/square, respectively. The as-prepared ITO/P-clay samples were annealed at 200 and 270 °C for 1 h to improve the optical transparency and electrical conductivity. The average optical transparency was found to be maximum at an annealing temperature of 200 °C. Finally, N,N-bis[(1-naphthyl)-N,N '-diphenyl]-1,1'-biphenyl)-4,4'-diamine (NPB), tris(8-hydroxyquinoline) aluminum (Alq3) thin films, and aluminum (Al) electrode were prepared on ITO/P-clay substrates by thermal evaporation method. The current density-voltage (J-V) characteristic of Al/NPB/ITO/P-clay showed linear Ohmic behaviour. In contrast, J-V characteristic of Al/Alq3/NPB/ITO/P-clay showed non-linear Schottky behaviour. Finally, a very flexible OLED was successfully fabricated on newly fabricated transparent flexible P-clay substrates. The electroluminescence study showed that the emission intensity of light from the flexible OLED device gradually increased with increasing applied voltage.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Carrasco-González, Carlos; Rodríguez, Luis F.; Galván-Madrid, Roberto

The first long-baseline ALMA campaign resolved the disk around the young star HL Tau into a number of axisymmetric bright and dark rings. Despite the very young age of HL Tau, these structures have been interpreted as signatures for the presence of (proto)planets. The ALMA images triggered numerous theoretical studies based on disk–planet interactions, magnetically driven disk structures, and grain evolution. Of special interest are the inner parts of disks, where terrestrial planets are expected to form. However, the emission from these regions in HL Tau turned out to be optically thick at all ALMA wavelengths, preventing the derivation of surfacemore » density profiles and grain-size distributions. Here, we present the most sensitive images of HL Tau obtained to date with the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array at 7.0 mm wavelength with a spatial resolution comparable to the ALMA images. At this long wavelength, the dust emission from HL Tau is optically thin, allowing a comprehensive study of the inner disk. We obtain a total disk dust mass of (1–3) × 10{sup −3} M {sub ⊙}, depending on the assumed opacity and disk temperature. Our optically thin data also indicate fast grain growth, fragmentation, and formation of dense clumps in the inner densest parts of the disk. Our results suggest that the HL Tau disk may be actually in a very early stage of planetary formation, with planets not already formed in the gaps but in the process of future formation in the bright rings.« less

Influence of annealing temperature on Raman and photoluminescence spectra of electron beam evaporated TiO₂ thin films.

PubMed

Vishwas, M; Narasimha Rao, K; Chakradhar, R P S

2012-12-01

Titanium dioxide (TiO(2)) thin films were deposited on fused quartz substrates by electron beam evaporation method at room temperature. The films were annealed at different temperatures in ambient air. The surface morphology/roughness at different annealing temperatures were analyzed by atomic force microscopy (AFM). The crystallinity of the film has improved with the increase of annealing temperature. The effect of annealing temperature on optical, photoluminescence and Raman spectra of TiO(2) films were investigated. The refractive index of TiO(2) films were studied by envelope method and reflectance spectra and it is observed that the refractive index of the films was high. The photoluminescence intensity corresponding to green emission was enhanced with increase of annealing temperature. The peaks in Raman spectra depicts that the TiO(2) film is of anatase phase after annealing at 300°C and higher. The films show high refractive index, good optical quality and photoluminescence characteristics suggest that possible usage in opto-electronic and optical coating applications. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Reverberation Mapping of the Continuum Source in Active Galactic Nuclei

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fausnaugh, Michael Martin

I present results from a monitoring campaign of 11 active galactic nuclei (AGN) conducted in Spring of 2014. I use the reverberation mapping method to probe the interior structures of the AGN, specifically the broad line regions (BLRs) and accretion disks. One of these AGN, NGC 5548, was also subject to multi-wavelength (X-ray, UV, optical, and near-IR) monitoring using 25 ground-based telescopes and four space-based facilities. For NGC 5548, I detect lags between the continuum emission at different wavelengths that follow a trend consistent with the prediction for continuum reprocessing by an accretion disk with temperature profile T ∝ R -3/4. However, the lags imply a disk radius that is 3 times larger than the prediction from standard thin-disk models. The lags at wavelengths longer than the Vband are also equal to or greater than the lags of high-ionization-state emission lines (such as HeII lambda1640 and lambda4686), suggesting that the continuum-emitting source is of a physical size comparable to the inner broad-line region. Using optical spectra from the Large Binocular Telescope, I estimate the bias of the interband continuum lags due to BLR emission observed in the filters, and I find that the bias for filters with high levels of BLR contamination (˜20%) can be important for the shortest continuum lags. This likely has a significant impact on the u and U bands owing to Balmer continuum emission. I then develop a new procedure for the internal (night-to-night) calibration of time series spectra that can reach precisions of ˜1 millimagnitude and improves traditional techniques by up to a factor of 5. At this level, other systematic issues (e.g., the nightly sensitivity functions and Fe II contamination) limit the final precision of the observed light curves. Using the new calibration method, I next present the data and first results from the optical spectroscopic monitoring component of the reverberation mapping campaign. Five AGN were sufficiently variable to measure continuum-Hbeta lags and super-massive black hole masses: MCG+08-11-011, NGC 2617, NGC 4051, 3C 382, and Mrk 374. I also obtain Hgamma and HeII lags for all objects except 3C 382. The HeII lags indicate radial stratification of the BLR, and the masses derived from different emission lines are in general agreement. The relative responsivities of these lines to continuum variations are also in qualitative agreement with photoionization models. Finally, I measure optical continuum lags for the two most variable targets, MCG+08-11-011 and NGC 2617. I again find lags consistent with geometrically thin accretion-disk models that have temperature profiles T ∝ R-3/4. The observed lags are larger than predictions based on standard thin-disk theory by factors of 3.3 for MCG+08-11-011 and 2.3 for NGC 2617. Using a physical model, these differences can be explained if the mass accretion rates are larger than inferred from the optical continuum luminosity by a factor of 4.3 in MCG+08-11-011 and a factor of 1.3 in NGC 2617. While the X-ray variability in NGC 2617 precedes the UV/optical variability, the long 2.6 day lag is problematic for coronal reprocessing models.

Development of nanostructured ZnO thin film via electrohydrodynamic atomization technique and its photoconductivity characteristics.

PubMed

Duraisamy, Navaneethan; Kwon, Ki Rin; Jo, Jeongdai; Choi, Kyung-Hyun

2014-08-01

This article presents the non-vacuum technique for the preparation of nanostructured zinc oxide (ZnO) thin film on glass substrate through electrohydrodynamic atomization (EHDA) technique. The detailed process parameters for achieving homogeneous ZnO thin films are clearly discussed. The crystallinity and surface morphology of ZnO thin film are investigated by X-ray diffraction and field emission scanning electron microscopy. The result shows that the deposited ZnO thin film is oriented in the wurtzite phase with void free surface morphology. The surface roughness of deposited ZnO thin film is found to be ~17.8 nm. The optical properties of nanostructured ZnO thin films show the average transmittance is about 90% in the visible region and the energy band gap is found to be 3.17 eV. The surface chemistry and purity of deposited ZnO thin films are analyzed by fourier transform infrared and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, conforming the presence of Zn-O in the deposited thin films without any organic moiety. The photocurrent measurement of nanostructured ZnO thin film is examined in the presence of UV light illumination with wavelength of 365 nm. These results suggest that the deposited nanostructured ZnO thin film through EHDA technique possess promising applications in the near future.

The Dependence of Solar Flare Limb Darkening on Emission Peak Formation Temperature

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thiemann, Edward; Epp, Luke; Eparvier, Francis; Chamberlin, Phillip C.

2017-08-01

Solar limb effects are local brightening or darkening of an emission that depend on where in the Sun's atmosphere it forms. Near the solar limb, optically thick (thin) emissions will darken (brighten) as the column of absorbers (emitters) along the line-of-sight increases. Note that in limb brightening, emission sources are re-arranged whereas in limb darkening they are obscured. Thus, only limb darkening is expected to occur in disk integrated observations. Limb darkening also results in center-to-limb variations of disk-integrated solar flare spectra, with important consequences for how planetary atmospheres are affected by flares. Flares are typically characterized by their flux in the optically thin 0.1-0.8 nm band measured by the X-ray Sensor (XRS) on board the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES). On the other hand, Extreme Ultraviolet (EUV) line emissions can limb darken because they are sensitive to resonant scattering, resulting in a flare's location on the solar disk controlling the amount of ionizing radiation that reaches a planet. For example, an X-class flare originating from disk center may significantly heat a planet's thermosphere, whereas the same flare originating near the limb may have no effect because much of the effective emissions are scattered in the solar corona.To advance the relatively poor understanding of flare limb darkening, we use over 300 M-class or larger flares observed by the EUV Variability Experiment (EVE) onboard the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) to characterize limb darkening as a function of emission peak formation temperature, Tf. For hot coronal emissions (Tf>2 MK), these results show a linear relationship between the degree of limb darkening and Tf where lines with Tf=2 MK darken approximately 7 times more than lines with Tf=16 MK. Because the extent of limb darkening is dependent on the height of the source plasma, we use simple Beer-Lambert radiative transfer analysis to interpret these results and characterize the average thermal structure of the flares considered. As such, these results can be used to constrain both empirical flare irradiance models and more sophisticated flare loop hydrodynamic models.

Infrared study of H 1743-322 in outburst: a radio-quiet and NIR-dim microquasar

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chaty, S.; Muñoz Arjonilla, A. J.; Dubus, G.

2015-05-01

Context. Microquasars are accreting Galactic sources that are commonly observed to launch relativistic jets. One of the most important issues regarding these sources is the energy budget of ejections relative to the accretion of matter. Aims: The X-ray binary, black hole candidate, and microquasar H 1743-322 exhibited a series of X-ray outbursts between 2003 and 2008. We took optical and near-infrared (OIR) observations with the ESO/NTT telescope during three of these outbursts (2003, 2004, and 2008). The goals of these observations were to investigate the presence of a jet, and to disentangle the various contributions constituting the spectral energy distribution (SED): accretion, ejection, and stellar emission. Methods: Photometric and spectroscopic OIR observations allowed us to produce a high time-resolution lightcurve in Ks-band, to analyze emission lines present in the IR spectra, to construct a multiwavelength SED including radio, IR, and X-ray data, and to complete the OIR vs. X-ray correlation of black hole binaries with H 1743-322 data points. Results: We detect rapid flares of duration ~5 min in the high time-resolution IR lightcurve. We identify hydrogen and helium emission lines in the IR spectra, coming from the accretion disk. The IR SED exhibits the spectral index typically associated with the X-ray high, soft state in our observations taken during the 2003 and 2004 outbursts, while the index changes to one that is typical of the X-ray low, hard state during the 2008 outburst. During this last outburst, we detected a change of slope in the NIR spectrum between the J and Ks bands, where the JH part is characteristic of an optically thick disk emission, while the HKs part is typical of optically thin synchrotron emission. Furthermore, the comparison of our IR data with radio and X-ray data shows that H 1743-322 exhibits a faint jet both in radio and NIR domains. Finally, we suggest that the companion star is a late-type main sequence star located in the Galactic bulge. Conclusions: These OIR photometric and spectroscopic observations of the microquasar H 1743-322, which are the first of this source to be published in a broad multiwavelength context, allow us to unambiguously identify two spectra of different origins in the OIR domain, evolving from optically thick thermal emission to optically thin synchrotron emission toward longer wavelengths. Comparing these OIR observations with other black hole candidates suggests that H 1743-322 behaves like a radio-quiet and NIR-dim black hole in the low, hard state. This study will be useful when quantitatively comparing the overall contribution of the compact jet and accretion flow in the energy budget of microquasars. Based on observations collected at the European Southern Observatory, Chile, through programs 071.D-0073, 073.D-0341 and 081.D-0401.

Evaluation damage threshold of optical thin-film using an amplified spontaneous emission source

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhou, Qiong; Sun, Mingying; Zhang, Zhixiang; Yao, Yudong; Peng, Yujie; Liu, Dean; Zhu, Jianqiang

2014-10-01

An accurate evaluation method with an amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) as the irradiation source has been developed for testing thin-film damage threshold. The partial coherence of the ASE source results in a very smooth beam profile in the near-field and a uniform intensity distribution of the focal spot in the far-field. ASE is generated by an Nd: glass rod amplifier in SG-II high power laser facility, with pulse duration of 9 ns and spectral width (FWHM) of 1 nm. The damage threshold of the TiO2 high reflection film is 14.4J/cm2 using ASE as the irradiation source, about twice of 7.4 J/cm2 that tested by a laser source with the same pulse duration and central wavelength. The damage area induced by ASE is small with small-scale desquamation and a few pits, corresponding to the defect distribution of samples. Large area desquamation is observed in the area damaged by laser, as the main reason that the non-uniformity of the laser light. The ASE damage threshold leads to more accurate evaluations of the samples damage probability by reducing the influence of hot spots in the irradiation beam. Furthermore, the ASE source has a great potential in the detection of the defect distribution of the optical elements.

Rapid spectral and flux time variations in a solar burst observed at various dm-mm wavelengths and at hard X-rays

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zodivaz, A. M.; Kaufmann, P.; Correia, E.; Costa, J. E. R.; Takakura, T.; Cliver, E. W.; Tapping, K. F.

1986-01-01

A solar burst was observed with high sensitivity and time resolution at cm-mm wavelengths by two different radio observatories (Itapetinga and Algonquin), with high spectral time resolution at dm-mm wavelengths by patrol instruments (Sagamore Hill), and at hard X-rays (HXM Hinotori). At the onset of the major burst time structure there was a rapid rise in the spectral turnover frequency (from 5 to 15 GHz), in about 10s, coincident to a reduction of the spectral index in the optically thin part of the spectrum. The burst maxima were not time coincident at the optically thin radio frequencies and at the different hard X-ray energy ranges. The profiles at higher radio frequencies exhibited better time coincidence to the high energy X-rays. The hardest X-ray spectrum (-3) coincided with peak radio emission at the higher frequency (44 GHz). The event appeared to be built up by a first major injection of softer particles followed by other injections of harder particles. Ultrafast time structures were identified as superimposed on the burst emission at the cm-mm high sensitivity data at X-rays, with predominant repetition rates ranging from 2.0 to 3.5 Hz.

Effects of Radiative Emission and Absorption on the Propagation and Extinction of Premixed Gas Flames

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ju, Yiguang; Masuya, Goro; Ronney, Paul D.

1998-01-01

Premixed gas flames in mixtures of CH4, O2, N2, and CO2 were studied numerically using detailed chemical and radiative emission-absorption models to establish the conditions for which radiatively induced extinction limits may exist independent of the system dimensions. It was found that reabsorption of emitted radiation led to substantially higher burning velocities and wider extinction limits than calculations using optically thin radiation models, particularly when CO2, a strong absorber, is present in the unburned gas, Two heat loss mechanisms that lead to flammability limits even with reabsorption were identified. One is that for dry hydrocarbon-air mixtures, because of the differences in the absorption spectra of H2O and CO2, most of the radiation from product H2O that is emitted in the upstream direction cannot be absorbed by the reactants. The second is that the emission spectrum Of CO2 is broader at flame temperatures than ambient temperature: thus, some radiation emitted near the flame front cannot be absorbed by the reactants even when they are seeded with CO2 Via both mechanisms, some net upstream heat loss due to radiation will always occur, leading to extinction of sufficiently weak mixtures. Downstream loss has practically no influence. Comparison with experiment demonstrates the importance of reabsorption in CO2 diluted mixtures. It is concluded that fundamental flammability limits can exist due to radiative heat loss, but these limits are strongly dependent on the emission-absorption spectra of the reactant and product -gases and their temperature dependence and cannot be predicted using gray-gas or optically thin model parameters. Applications to practical flames at high pressure, in large combustion chambers, and with exhaust-gas or flue-gas recirculation are discussed.

THE FORMATION OF IRIS DIAGNOSTICS. VII. THE FORMATION OF THE O i 135.56 NM LINE IN THE SOLAR ATMOSPHERE

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lin, Hsiao-Hsuan; Carlsson, Mats, E-mail: h.h.lin@astro.uio.no, E-mail: mats.carlsson@astro.uio.no

The O i 135.56 nm line is covered by NASA's Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph (IRIS) small explorer mission which studies how the solar atmosphere is energized. We study here the formation and diagnostic potential of this line by means of non-local thermodynamic equilibrium modeling employing both 1D semi-empirical and 3D radiation magnetohydrodynamic models. We study the basic formation mechanisms and derive a quintessential model atom that incorporates essential atomic physics for the formation of the O i 135.56 nm line. This atomic model has 16 levels and describes recombination cascades through highly excited levels by effective recombination rates. The ionizationmore » balance O i/O ii is set by the hydrogen ionization balance through charge exchange reactions. The emission in the O i 135.56 nm line is dominated by a recombination cascade and the line is optically thin. The Doppler shift of the maximum emission correlates strongly with the vertical velocity in its line forming region, which is typically located at 1.0–1.5 Mm height. The total intensity of the line emission is correlated with the square of the electron density. Since the O i 135.56 nm line is optically thin, the width of the emission line is a very good diagnostic of non-thermal velocities. We conclude that the O i 135.56 nm line is an excellent probe of the middle chromosphere, and compliments other powerful chromospheric diagnostics of IRIS such as the Mg ii h and k lines and the C ii lines around 133.5 nm.« less

The Born-again Planetary Nebula A78: An X-Ray Twin of A30

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Toalá, J. A.; Guerrero, M. A.; Todt, H.; Hamann, W.-R.; Chu, Y.-H.; Gruendl, R. A.; Schönberner, D.; Oskinova, L. M.; Marquez-Lugo, R. A.; Fang, X.; Ramos-Larios, G.

2015-01-01

We present the XMM-Newton discovery of X-ray emission from the planetary nebula (PN) A78, the second born-again PN detected in X-rays apart from A30. These two PNe share similar spectral and morphological characteristics: they harbor diffuse soft X-ray emission associated with the interaction between the H-poor ejecta and the current fast stellar wind and a point-like source at the position of the central star (CSPN). We present the spectral analysis of the CSPN, using for the first time an NLTE code for expanding atmospheres that takes line blanketing into account for the UV and optical spectra. The wind abundances are used for the X-ray spectral analysis of the CSPN and the diffuse emission. The X-ray emission from the CSPN in A78 can be modeled by a single C VI emission line, while the X-ray emission from its diffuse component is better described by an optically thin plasma emission model with a temperature of kT = 0.088 keV (T ≈ 1.0 × 106 K). We estimate X-ray luminosities in the 0.2-2.0 keV energy band of L X, CSPN = (1.2 ± 0.3) × 1031 erg s-1 and L X, DIFF = (9.2 ± 2.3) × 1030 erg s-1 for the CSPN and diffuse components, respectively.

Amplified spontaneous emission properties of semiconducting organic materials.

PubMed

Calzado, Eva M; Boj, Pedro G; Díaz-García, María A

2010-06-18

This paper aims to review the recent advances achieved in the field of organic solid-state lasers with respect to the usage of semiconducting organic molecules and oligomers in the form of thin films as active laser media. We mainly focus on the work performed in the last few years by our research group. The amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) properties, by optical pump, of various types of molecules doped into polystyrene films in waveguide configuration, are described. The various systems investigated include N,N'-bis(3-methylphenyl)-N,N'-diphenylbenzidine (TPD), several perilenediimide derivatives (PDIs), as well as two oligo-phenylenevinylene derivatives. The ASE characteristics, i.e., threshold, emission wavelength, linewidth, and photostability are compared with that of other molecular materials investigated in the literature.

Amplified Spontaneous Emission Properties of Semiconducting Organic Materials

PubMed Central

Calzado, Eva M.; Boj, Pedro G.; Díaz-García, María A.

2010-01-01

This paper aims to review the recent advances achieved in the field of organic solid-state lasers with respect to the usage of semiconducting organic molecules and oligomers in the form of thin films as active laser media. We mainly focus on the work performed in the last few years by our research group. The amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) properties, by optical pump, of various types of molecules doped into polystyrene films in waveguide configuration, are described. The various systems investigated include N,N′-bis(3-methylphenyl)-N,N′-diphenylbenzidine (TPD), several perilenediimide derivatives (PDIs), as well as two oligo-phenylenevinylene derivatives. The ASE characteristics, i.e., threshold, emission wavelength, linewidth, and photostability are compared with that of other molecular materials investigated in the literature. PMID:20640167

Highly spatially resolved structural and optical investigation of Bi nanoparticles in Y-Er disilicate thin films

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Scarangella, A.; Dipartimento di Fisica e Astronomia, Università di Catania, Via S. Sofia 64, 95123 Catania; Amiard, G.

2016-08-08

Er-containing silicon compatible materials have been widely used as infrared emitters for microphotonics application. In this field, the additional introduction of a proper sensitizer permits to increase the Er excitation cross sections, thus increasing its optical efficiency. This work aims to investigate the influence of a post-transition metal, bismuth, on the optical properties of erbium-yttrium disilicate thin films synthesized by magnetron co-sputtering. After thermal treatments at 1000 °C in O{sub 2} or N{sub 2} environment, the presence of small precipitates, about 6 nm in diameter, was evidenced by transmission electron microscopy analyses. The spatially resolved chemical nature of the nanoparticles was discernedmore » in the Si and O rich environments by means of scanning transmission electron microscopy–energy dispersive X-ray and scanning transmission electron microscopy–electron energy loss spectroscopy analyses performed with nanometric resolution. In particular, metallic Bi nanoparticles were stabilized in the N{sub 2} environment, being strongly detrimental for the Er emission. A different scenario was instead observed in O{sub 2}, where the formation of Bi silicate nanoparticles was demonstrated with the support of photoluminescence excitation spectroscopy. In particular, a broad band peaked at 255 nm, correlated to the excitation band of Bi silicate nanoparticles, was identified in Er excitation spectrum. Thus Bi silicate clusters act as sensitizer for Er ions, permitting to improve Er emission up to 250 times with respect to the resonant condition. Moreover, the Er decay time increases in the presence of the Bi silicate nanoparticles that act as cages for Er ions. These last results permit to further increase Er optical efficiency in the infrared range, suggesting (Bi + Er)-Y disilicate as a good candidate for applications in microphotonics.« less

Effect of sputtering power on crystallinity, intrinsic defects, and optical and electrical properties of Al-doped ZnO transparent conducting thin films for optoelectronic devices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hu, Yu Min; Li, Jung Yu; Chen, Nai Yun; Chen, Chih Yu; Han, Tai Chun; Yu, Chin Chung

2017-02-01

The crystallinity and intrinsic defects of transparent conducting oxide (TCO) films have a high impact on their optical and electrical properties and therefore on the performance of devices incorporating such films, including flat panel displays, electro-optical devices, and solar cells. The optical and electrical properties of TCO films can be modified by tailoring their deposition parameters, which makes proper understanding of these parameters crucial. Magnetron sputtering is the most adaptable method for preparing TCO films used in industrial applications. In this study, we investigate the direct and inter-property correlation effects of sputtering power (PW) on the crystallinity, intrinsic defects, and optical and electrical properties of Al-doped ZnO (AZO) TCO films. All of the films were preferentially c-axis-oriented with a wurtzite structure and had an average transmittance of over 80% in the visible wavelength region. Scanning electron microscopy images revealed significantly increased AZO film grain sizes for PW ≥ 150 W, which may lead to increased conductivity, carrier concentration, and optical band gaps but decreased carrier mobility and in-plane compressive stress in AZO films. Photoluminescence results showed that, with increasing PW, the near band edge emission gradually dominates the defect-related emissions in which zinc interstitial (Zni), oxygen vacancy (VO), and oxygen interstitial (Oi) are possibly responsible for emissions at 3.08, 2.8, and 2.0 eV, respectively. The presence of Zni- and Oi-related emissions at PW ≥ 150 W indicates a slight increase in the presence of Al atoms substituted at Zn sites (AlZn). The presence of Oi at PW ≥ 150 W was also confirmed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy results. These results clearly show that the crystallinity and intrinsic-defect type of AZO films, which dominate their optical and electrical properties, may be controlled by PW. This understanding may facilitate the development of TCO-based optoelectronic devices for industrial production.

μ-Rainbow: CdSe Nanocrystal Photoluminescence Gradients via Laser Spike Annealing for Kinetic Investigations and Tunable Device Design.

PubMed

Treml, Benjamin E; Jacobs, Alan G; Bell, Robert T; Thompson, Michael O; Hanrath, Tobias

2016-02-10

Much of the promise of nanomaterials derives from their size-dependent, and hence tunable, properties. Impressive advances have been made in the synthesis of nanoscale building blocks with precisely tailored size, shape and composition. Significant attention is now turning toward creating thin film structures in which size-dependent properties can be spatially programmed with high fidelity. Nonequilibrium processing techniques present exciting opportunities to create nanostructured thin films with unprecedented spatial control over their optical and electronic properties. Here, we demonstrate single scan laser spike annealing (ssLSA) on CdSe nanocrystal (NC) thin films as an experimental test bed to illustrate how the size-dependent photoluminescence (PL) emission can be tuned throughout the visible range and in spatially defined profiles during a single annealing step. Through control of the annealing temperature and time, we discovered that NC fusion is a kinetically limited process with a constant activation energy in over 2 orders of magnitude of NC growth rate. To underscore the broader technological implications of this work, we demonstrate the scalability of LSA to process large area NC films with periodically modulated PL emission, resulting in tunable emission properties of a large area film. New insights into the processing-structure-property relationships presented here offer significant advances in our fundamental understanding of kinetics of nanomaterials as well as technological implications for the production of nanomaterial films.

Simulations of terahertz pulse emission from thin-film semiconductor structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Semichaevsky, Andrey

The photo-Dember effect is the formation of transient electric dipoles due to the interaction of semiconductors with ultrashort optical pulses. Typically the optically-induced dipole moments vary on the ns- or ps- scales, leading to the emission of electromagnetic pulses with terahertz (THz) bandwidths. One of the applications of the photo-Dember effect is a photoconductive dipole antenna (PDA). This work presents a computational model of a PDA based on Maxwell's equations coupled to the Boltzmann transport equation. The latter is solved semiclassically for the doped GaAs using a continuum approach. The emphasis is on the accurate prediction of the emitted THz pulse shape and bandwidth, particularly when materials are doped with a rare-earth metal such as erbium or terbium that serve as carrier recombination centers. Field-dependent carrier mobility is determined from particle-based simulations. Some of the previous experimental results are used as a basis for comparison with our model.

Constraints on the inner accretion flow of 4U/MXB 1636-53 (V 801 Arae) from a comparison of X-ray burst and persistent emission

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Damen, E.; Wijers, R. A. M. J.; Van Paradijs, J.; Penninx, W.; Oosterbroek, T.

1990-01-01

A detailed analysis is presented of the importance of Comptonization in burst and persistent spectra of the low-mass X-ray binary 4U/MXB 1636-53, and from this analysis it is inferred that the inner accretion flow is geometrically thin. It is found that burst spectra of 1636-53 are very nearly Planckian in shape; from an upper limit to a high-energy excess in these spectra it is inferred that the Thomson scattering optical depth of a possible intervening hot cloud must be less than 1 during bursts, and that the Compton y parameter of that cloud must be less than 0.5. During persistent emission, Thomson optical depth of 4-8, an electron temperature of 2-5 keV, and a value of 0.8-1.1 for y are inferred.

Dynamics of a pulsed laser generated tin plasma expanding in an oxygen atmosphere

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barreca, F.; Fazio, E.; Neri, F.; Barletta, E.; Trusso, S.; Fazio, B.

2005-10-01

Semiconducting tin oxide can be successfully deposited by means of the laser ablation technique. In particular by ablating metallic tin in a controlled oxygen atmosphere, thin films of SnOx have been deposited. The partial oxygen pressure at which the films are deposited strongly influences both the stoichiometry and the structural properties of the films. In this work, we present a study of the expansion dynamics of the plasma generated by ablating a tin target by means of a pulsed laser using time and space resolved optical emission spectroscopy and fast photography imaging of the expanding plasma. Both Sn I and Sn II optical emission lines have been observed from the time-integrated spectroscopy. Time resolved-measurements revealed the dynamics of the expanding plasma in the ambient oxygen atmosphere. Stoichiometry of the films has been determined by means of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and correlated to the expansion dynamics of the plasma.

A Turnover in the Radio Light Curve of GW170817

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dobie, Dougal; Kaplan, David L.; Murphy, Tara; Lenc, Emil; Mooley, Kunal P.; Lynch, Christene; Corsi, Alessandra; Frail, Dale; Kasliwal, Mansi; Hallinan, Gregg

2018-05-01

We present 2–9 GHz radio observations of GW170817 covering the period 125–200 days post-merger, taken with the Australia Telescope Compact Array (ATCA) and the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array (VLA). Our observations demonstrate that the radio afterglow peaked at 149 ± 2 days post-merger and is now declining in flux density. We see no evidence for evolution in the radio-only spectral index, which remains consistent with optically thin synchrotron emission connecting the radio, optical, and X-ray regimes. The peak implies a total energy in the synchrotron-emitting component of a few × 1050 erg. The temporal decay rate is most consistent with mildly or non-relativistic material and we do not see evidence for a very energetic off-axis jet, but we cannot distinguish between a lower-energy jet and more isotropic emission.

Magnetic Fields in Blazar Jets: Jet-Alignment of Radio and Optical Polarization over 20-30 Years

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wills, Beverley J.; Aller, M. F.; Caldwell, C.; Aller, H. D.

2012-01-01

Blazars are highly active nuclei of distant galaxies. They produce synchrotron-emitting relativistic jets on scales of less than a parsec to many Kpc. When viewed head-on, as opposed to in the plane of the sky, the jet motion appears superluminal, and the emission is Doppler boosted. Blazars show rapid radio and optical variability in flux density and polarization. There are two types of blazars that can have strong synchrotron continua: some quasars with strong broad emission lines, and BL Lac objects with weak or undetected broad lines. We have compiled optical linear polarization measurements of more than 100 blazars, including archival data from McDonald Observatory. While the optical data are somewhat sparsely sampled, The University of Michigan Radio Astronomical Observatory observed many blazars over 20-30 years, often well-sampled over days to weeks, enabling quasi-simultaneous comparison of optical and radio polarization position angles (EVPAs). We also collected data on jet direction -- position angles of the jet component nearest the radio core. The project is unique in examining the polarization and jet behavior over many years. BL Lac objects tend to have stable optically thin EVPA in the jet direction, meaning magnetic field is perpendicular to jet flow, often interpreted as the magnetic field compressed by shocks. In quasar-blazars optical and radio EVPA often changes between parallel or perpendicular to the jet direction, even in the same object. The underlying B field of the jet is is parallel to the flow, with approximately 90 degree changes resulting from shocks. For both BL Lac objects & quasars, the scatter in EVPA usually increases from low frequencies (4.8 GHz) through 14.5 GHz through optical. The wide optical-radio frequency range allows us to investigate optical depth effects and the spatial origin of radio and optical emission.

The Case for Optically Thick High-Velocity Broad-Line Region Gas in Active Galactic Nuclei

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Snedden, Stephanie A.; Gaskell, C. Martin

2007-11-01

A combined analysis of the profiles of the main broad quasar emission lines in both Hubble Space Telescope and optical spectra shows that while the profiles of the strong UV lines are quite similar, there is frequently a strong increase in the Lyα/Hα ratio in the high-velocity gas. We show that the suggestion that the high-velocity gas is optically thin presents many problems. We show that the relative strengths of the high-velocity wings arise naturally in an optically thick BLR component. An optically thick model successfully explains the equivalent widths of the lines, the Lyα/Hα ratios and flatter Balmer decrements in the line wings, the strengths of C III] and the λ1400 blend, and the strong variability in flux of high-velocity, high-ionization lines (especially He II and He I).

X-RAY EMISSION FROM THE WOLF-RAYET BUBBLE S 308

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Toala, J. A.; Guerrero, M. A.; Chu, Y.-H.

The Wolf-Rayet (WR) bubble S 308 around the WR star HD 50896 is one of the only two WR bubbles known to possess X-ray emission. We present XMM-Newton observations of three fields of this WR bubble that, in conjunction with an existing observation of its northwest quadrant, map most of the nebula. The X-ray emission from S 308 displays a limb-brightened morphology, with a central cavity {approx}22' in size and a shell thickness of {approx}8'. This X-ray shell is confined by the optical shell of ionized material. The spectrum is dominated by the He-like triplets of N VI at 0.43more » keV and O VII at 0.57 keV, and declines toward high energies, with a faint tail up to 1 keV. This spectrum can be described by a two-temperature optically thin plasma emission model (T{sub 1} {approx} 1.1 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 6} K, T{sub 2} {approx} 13 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 6} K), with a total X-ray luminosity {approx}2 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 33} erg s{sup -1} at the assumed distance of 1.5 kpc.« less

THE CHROMOSPHERIC SOLAR MILLIMETER-WAVE CAVITY ORIGINATES IN THE TEMPERATURE MINIMUM REGION

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

De la Luz, Victor; Raulin, Jean-Pierre; Lara, Alejandro

2013-01-10

We present a detailed theoretical analysis of the local radio emission at the lower part of the solar atmosphere. To accomplish this, we have used a numerical code to simulate the emission and transport of high-frequency electromagnetic waves from 2 GHz up to 10 THz. As initial conditions, we used VALC, SEL05, and C7 solar chromospheric models. In this way, the generated synthetic spectra allow us to study the local emission and absorption processes with high resolution in both altitude and frequency. Associated with the temperature minimum predicted by these models, we found that the local optical depth at millimetermore » wavelengths remains constant, producing an optically thin layer that is surrounded by two layers of high local emission. We call this structure the Chromospheric Solar Millimeter-wave Cavity (CSMC). The temperature profile, which features temperature minimum layers and a subsequent temperature rise, produces the CSMC phenomenon. The CSMC shows the complexity of the relation between the theoretical temperature profile and the observed brightness temperature and may help us to understand the dispersion of the observed brightness temperature in the millimeter wavelength range.« less

Comparison of selective transmitters for solar thermal applications.

PubMed

Taylor, Robert A; Hewakuruppu, Yasitha; DeJarnette, Drew; Otanicar, Todd P

2016-05-10

Solar thermal collectors are radiative heat exchangers. Their efficacy is dictated predominantly by their absorption of short wavelength solar radiation and, importantly, by their emission of long wavelength thermal radiation. In conventional collector designs, the receiver is coated with a selectively absorbing surface (Black Chrome, TiNO_x, etc.), which serves both of these aims. As the leading commercial absorber, TiNO_x consists of several thin, vapor deposited layers (of metals and ceramics) on a metal substrate. In this technology, the solar absorption to thermal emission ratio can exceed 20. If a solar system requires an analogous transparent component-one which transmits the full AM1.5 solar spectrum, but reflects long wavelength thermal emission-the technology is much less developed. Bespoke "heat mirrors" are available from optics suppliers at high cost, but the closest mass-produced commercial technology is low-e glass. Low-e glasses are designed for visible light transmission and, as such, they reflect up to 50% of available solar energy. To address this technical gap, this study investigated selected combinations of thin films that could be deposited to serve as transparent, selective solar covers. A comparative numerical analysis of feasible materials and configurations was investigated using a nondimensional metric termed the efficiency factor for selectivity (EFS). This metric is dependent on the operation temperature and solar concentration ratio of the system, so our analysis covered the practical range for these parameters. It was found that thin films of indium tin oxide (ITO) and ZnS-Ag-ZnS provided the highest EFS. Of these, ITO represents the more commercially viable solution for large-scale development. Based on these optimized designs, proof-of-concept ITO depositions were fabricated and compared to commercial depositions. Overall, this study presents a systematic guide for creating a new class of selective, transparent optics for solar thermal collectors.

2-(4-Ethoxy phenyl)-4-phenyl quinoline organic phosphor for solution processed blue organic light-emitting diodes.

PubMed

Ghate, Minakshi; Kalyani, N Thejo; Dhoble, S J

2018-05-31

This paper reports the synthesis and characterization of 2-(4-ethoxyphenyl)-4-phenyl quinoline (OEt-DPQ) organic phosphor using an acid-catalyzed Friedlander reaction and the preparation of blended thin films by molecularly doping OEt-DPQ in poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) at different wt%. The molecular structure of the synthesized phosphor was confirmed by Fourier transform infra-red (FTIR) spectroscopy and nuclear magnetic resonance spectra (NMR). Surface morphology and percent composition of the elements were assessed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive analysis of X-rays (EDAX). The thermal stability and melting point of OEt-DPQ and thin films were probed by thermo-gravimetric analysis (TGA)/differential thermal analysis (DTA) and were found to be 80°C and 113.6°C, respectively. UV-visible optical absorption spectra of OEt-DPQ in the solid state and blended films produced absorption bands in the range 260-340 nm, while photoluminescence (PL) spectra of OEt-DPQ in the solid state and blended thin films demonstrated blue emission that was registered at 432 nm when excited at 363-369 nm. However, solvated OEt-DPQ in chloroform, tetrahydrofuran or dichloromethane showed a blue shift of 31-43 nm. Optical absorption and emission parameters such as molar extinction coefficient (ε), energy gap (E g ), transmittance (T), reflectance (R), refractive index (n), oscillator energy (E 0 ) and oscillator strength (f), quantum yield (φ f ), oscillator energy (E 0 ), dispersion energy (E d ), Commission Internationale de l'Éclairage (CIE) co-ordinates and energy yield fluorescence (E F ) were calculated to assess the phosphor's suitability as a blue emissive material for opto-electronic applications such as organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs), flexible displays and solid-state lighting technology. Copyright © 2018 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Did the Eruption of the Mt. Pinatubo Volcano Affect Cirrus Properties?

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Luo, Zhengzhao; Rossow, William B.; Inoue, Toshiro; Stubenrauch, Claudia J.; Hansen, James E. (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

Some observations suggest that the volcanic aerosols produced by the Mt. Pinatubo eruption may have altered cirrus properties. We look for evidence that such modification of cirrus is extensive enough to be climatically significant by comparing three satellite-based cirrus datasets produced by the ISCCP (International Satellite Cloud Climatology Project) analysis, the 'split-window' analysis, and 3I analysis. Since the former two have not been compared in detail before, we conduct such a comparison here. When applied to AVHRR (Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer) data, both the ISCCP and split-window analyses identify about 0.2 - 0.3 cirrus cloud amount in tropical latitudes; however, there are detailed differences of classification for about half of these clouds. The discrepancies are attributed to the simplified assumptions made by both methods. The latter two datasets are derived from infrared radiances, so they are much less sensitive to volcanic aerosols than the ISCCP analysis. After the Mt. Pinatubo eruption, the ISCCP results indicate a dramatic decrease of thin cirrus (cloud top pressure less than 440 mb and visible optical thickness less than 1.3) over ocean, accompanied by a comparable increase of altocumulus and cumulus clouds; over land, there are no significant changes. In contrast, results from the split-window and 3I analyses show little change in thin cirrus amount over either ocean or land that is associated with the volcanic eruption. The ISCCP results can, therefore, be understood as a misclassification of thin cirrus because the additional reflected sunlight by the volcanic aerosol makes the cirrus clouds appear to be optically thicker. Examination of the split-window signature and the infrared emissivities from 3I show no significant change in infrared emissivity (or optical thickness). These results indicate that the Mt. Pinatubo volcanic aerosol did not have a significant systematic effect on tropical cirrus properties, but rather produced only temporary, local effects. Hence, these results indicate that there was no significant climate feedback produced by aerosol-cirrus-radiative interactions.

Studying Structural, Optical, Electrical, and Sensing Properties of Nanocrystalline SnO2:Cu Films Prepared by Sol-Gel Method for CO Gas Sensor Application at Low Temperature

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Al-Jawad, Selma M. H.; Elttayf, Abdulhussain K.; Saber, Amel S.

Nanocrystalline SnO2 and SnO2:Cu thin films derived from SnCl2ṡ2H2O precursors have been prepared on glass substrates using sol-gel dip-coating technique. The deposited film was 300±20nm thick and the films were annealed in air at 500∘C for 1h. Structural, optical and sensing properties of the films were studied under different preparation conditions, such as Cu-doping concentration of 2%, 4% and 6wt.%. X-ray diffraction studies show the polycrystalline nature with tetragonal rutile structure of SnO2 and Cu:SnO2 thin films. The films have highly preferred orientation along (110). The crystallite size of the prepared samples reduced with increasing Cu-doping concentrations and the addition of Cu as dopants changed the structural properties of the thin films. Surface morphology was determined through scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy. Results show that the particle size decreased as doping concentration increased. The films have moderate optical transmission (up to 82.4% at 800nm), and the transmittance, absorption coefficient and energy gap at different Cu-doping concentration were measured and calculated. Results show that Cu-doping decreased the transmittance and energy gap whereas it increased the absorption coefficient. Two peaks were noted with Cu-doping concentration of 0-6wt.%; the first peak was positioned exactly at 320nm ultraviolet emission and the second was positioned at 430-480nm. Moreover, emission bands were noticed in the photoluminescence spectra of Cu:SnO2. The electrical properties of SnO2 films include DC electrical conductivity, showing that the films have two activation energies, namely, Ea1 and Ea2, which increase as Cu-doping concentration increases. Cudoped nanocrystalline SnO2 gas-sensing material has better sensitivity to CO gas compared with pure SnO2.

Plasmonic giant quantum dots: Hybrid nanostructures for truly simultaneous optical imaging, photothermal effect and thermometry

DOE PAGES

Karan, Niladri S.; Keller, Aaron M.; Sampat, Siddharth; ...

2015-02-09

Hybrid semiconductor–metal nanoscale constructs are of both fundamental and practical interest. Semiconductor nanocrystals are active emitters of photons when stimulated optically, while the interaction of light with nanosized metal objects results in scattering and ohmic damping due to absorption. In a combined structure, the properties of both components can be realized together. At the same time, metal–semiconductor coupling may intervene to modify absorption and/or emission processes taking place in the semiconductor, resulting in a range of effects from photoluminescence quenching to enhancement. We show here that photostable ‘giant’ quantum dots when placed at the center of an ultrathin gold shellmore » retain their key optical property of bright and blinking-free photoluminescence, while the metal shell imparts efficient photothermal transduction. The latter is despite the highly compact total particle size (40–60 nm “inorganic” diameter and <100 nm hydrodynamic diameter) and the very thin nature of the optically transparent Au shell. Furthermore, the sensitivity of the quantum dot emission to local temperature provides a novel internal thermometer for recording temperature during infrared irradiation-induced photothermal heating.« less

Invited Paper Thin Film Technology In Design And Production Of Optical Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guenther, K. H.; Menningen, R.; Burke, C. A.

1983-10-01

Basic optical properties of dielectric thin films for interference applications and of metallic optical coatings are reviewed. Some design considerations of how to use thin films best in optical systems are given, and some aspects of thin film production technology relevant to the optical designer and the optician are addressed. The necessity of proper specifications, inclusive of test methods, is emphasized.

Optical depth of molecular gas in starburst galaxies - Is M82 the prototype?

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Verter, F.; Rickard, L. J.

1989-01-01

An attempt is made to survey the CO(2-1) emission toward the centers of 17 IR-luminous galaxies which have previously been detected in CO(1-0). These galaxies span a wide range of size and L(FIR)/L(B) ratio, many have multiple-wavelength studies establishing them as starbursts, and some bear a morphological resemblance to M 82. Nine galaxies are detected and useful upper limits are placed on the remaining eight. Using the CO(2-1)/CO(1-0) ratio of antenna temperature as a diagnostic of optical depth, it is found that all of the galaxies contain predominantly optically thick molecular gas. This implies that the phase of starburst during which the molecular gas is optically thin, currently witnessed in M 82, is either uncommon or short-lived.

Synthesis and characterization of silicon nanorod on n-type porous silicon.

PubMed

Behzad, Kasra; Mat Yunus, Wan Mahmood; Bahrami, Afarin; Kharazmi, Alireza; Soltani, Nayereh

2016-03-20

This work reports a new method for growing semiconductor nanorods on a porous silicon substrate. After preparation of n-type porous silicon samples, a thin layer of gold was deposited on them. Gold deposited samples were annealed at different temperatures. The structural, thermal, and optical properties of the samples were studied using a field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM), photoacoustic spectroscopy, and photoluminescence spectroscopy, respectively. FESEM analysis revealed that silicon nanorods of different sizes grew on the annealed samples. Thermal behavior of the samples was studied using photoacoustic spectroscopy. Photoluminescence spectroscopy showed that the emission peaks were degraded by gold deposition and attenuated for all samples by annealing.

Barrier SiO2-like coatings for archaeological artefacts preservation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Prochazka, M.; Blahova, L.; Krcma, F.

2016-10-01

Thin film chemical vapour deposition technique has been used for more than 50 years. Introducing organo-silicones as precursors, e.g. hexamethyldisiloxane (HMDSO) or tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS), brought new possibilities to this method. Barrier properties of thin films have become an important issue, especially for army and emergency services as well as for food and drink manufacturers. Our work is focused on protective HMDSO thin films for encapsulating cleaned archaeological artefacts, preventing the corrosion from destroying these historical items.Thin films are deposited via plasma enhanced chemical vapour deposition (PECVD) technique using low pressure capacitively coupled pasma in flow regime. Oxygen transmission rate (OTR) measurement was chosen as the most important one for characterization of barrier properties of deposited thin films. Lowest OTR reached for 50 nm thin film thickness was 120 cm3 m-2 atm-1 day-1. Samples were also analyzed by Fourier Transform Infrared spectrometry (FTIR) to determine their composition. Optical emission spectra and thin film thickness were measured during the deposition process. We optimized the deposition parameters for barrier layers by implementation of pulsed mode of plasma and argon plasma pre-treatment into the process.

Preparation and characterization of nanostructured Pt/TiO2 thin films treated using electron beam.

PubMed

Shin, Joong-Hyeok; Woo, Hee-Gweon; Kim, Bo-Hye; Lee, Byung Cheol; Jun, Jin

2010-05-01

Pt nanoparticle-doped titanium dioxide (Pt/TiO2) thin films were prepared on a silicon wafer substrate by sol-gel spin coating process. The prepared thin films were treated with electron beam (EB at 1.1 MeV, 100, 200, 300 kGy) at air atmosphere. The effect of EB-irradiation on the composition of the treated thin films, optical properties and morphology of thin films were investigated by various analytical techniques such as X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), spectroscopic ellipsometry (SE), X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission-scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The crystal structure of the TiO2 layer was found to be an anatase phase and the size of TiO2 particles was determined to be about 13 nm. Pt nanoparticles with diameter of 5 nm were observed on surface of the films. A new layer (presumed to be Pt-Ti complex and/or PtO2 compound) was created in the Pt/TiO2 thin film treated with EB (300 kGy). The transmittance of thin film decreased with EB treatment whereas the refractive index increased.

A study on the structural and mechanical properties of nanocrystalline CuS thin films grown by chemical bath deposition technique

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mukherjee, Nillohit; Sinha, Arijit; Khan, Gobinda Gopal

2011-01-15

We report a chemical route for the deposition of nanocrystalline thin films of CuS, using aqueous solutions of Cu(CH{sub 3}COO){sub 2}, SC(NH{sub 2}){sub 2} and N(CH{sub 2}CH{sub 2}OH){sub 3} [triethanolamine, i.e. TEA] in proper concentrations and ratios. The films were structurally characterized using X-ray diffraction technique (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) and optical analysis [both photo luminescence (PL) and ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis)]. Optical studies showed a large blue shift in the band gap energy of the films due to quantum confinement effect exerted by the nanocrystals. From both XRD and FESEM analyses, formation of CuS nanocrystals with sizes withinmore » 10-15 nm was evident. A study on the mechanical properties was carried out using nanoindentation and nanoscratch techniques, which showed good mechanical stability and high adherence of the films with the bottom substrate. Such study on the mechanical properties of the CuS thin films is being reported here for the first time. Current-voltage (I-V) measurements were also carried out for the films, which showed p-type conductivity.« less

THE ORIGIN AND OPTICAL DEPTH OF IONIZING RADIATION IN THE 'GREEN PEA' GALAXIES

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Jaskot, A. E.; Oey, M. S.

2013-04-01

Although Lyman-continuum (LyC) radiation from star-forming galaxies likely drove the reionization of the universe, observations of star-forming galaxies at low redshift generally indicate low LyC escape fractions. However, the extreme [O III]/[O II] ratios of the z = 0.1-0.3 Green Pea galaxies may be due to high escape fractions of ionizing radiation. To analyze the LyC optical depths and ionizing sources of these rare, compact starbursts, we compare nebular photoionization and stellar population models with observed emission lines in the Peas' Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) spectra. We focus on the six most extreme Green Peas, the galaxies with themore » highest [O III]/[O II] ratios and the best candidates for escaping ionizing radiation. The Balmer line equivalent widths and He I {lambda}3819 emission in the extreme Peas support young ages of 3-5 Myr, and He II {lambda}4686 emission in five extreme Peas signals the presence of hard ionizing sources. Ionization by active galactic nuclei or high-mass X-ray binaries is inconsistent with the Peas' line ratios and ages. Although stacked spectra reveal no Wolf-Rayet (WR) features, we tentatively detect WR features in the SDSS spectra of three extreme Peas. Based on the Peas' ages and line ratios, we find that WR stars, chemically homogeneous O stars, or shocks could produce the observed He II emission. If hot stars are responsible, then the Peas' optical depths are ambiguous. However, accounting for emission from shocks lowers the inferred optical depth and suggests that the Peas may be optically thin. The Peas' ages likely optimize the escape of LyC radiation; they are old enough for supernovae and stellar winds to reshape the interstellar medium, but young enough to possess large numbers of UV-luminous O or WR stars.« less

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Li, D.F.; Zhang, X.M.; Gautier, E.

The morphology and crystallography of deformation-induced martensites formed during isothermal tensile tests in Fe-30Ni-0.34C and Fe-25Ni-0.66C alloys were investigated by means of optical, transmission electron and scanning electron microscopy. Transitions in morphology from thin plate to coupled plate, to lenticular coupled-plate martensite and from thin plate to lenticular to compact martensite have been observed with increasing deformation. Stress favors the growth of martensite when concurrent plastic strain allows accommodation of macroscopic transformation strains and the change of the Bain strain accommodation mechanism. Mobile dislocations and emission dislocations are directly related to the change of the Bain strain accommodation mechanism frommore » twinning to slip.« less

Investigation of logarithmic spiral nanoantennas at optical frequencies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Verma, Anamika; Pandey, Awanish; Mishra, Vigyanshu; Singh, Ten; Alam, Aftab; Dinesh Kumar, V.

2013-12-01

The first study is reported of a logarithmic spiral antenna in the optical frequency range. Using the finite integration technique, we investigated the spectral and radiation properties of a logarithmic spiral nanoantenna and a complementary structure made of thin gold film. A comparison is made with results for an Archimedean spiral nanoantenna. Such nanoantennas can exhibit broadband behavior that is independent of polarization. Two prominent features of logarithmic spiral nanoantennas are highly directional far field emission and perfectly circularly polarized radiation when excited by a linearly polarized source. The logarithmic spiral nanoantenna promises potential advantages over Archimedean spirals and could be harnessed for several applications in nanophotonics and allied areas.

Fabrication of gradient optical filter containing anisotropic Bragg nanostructure.

PubMed

Cho, Bomin; Um, Sungyong; Woo, Hee-Gweon; Sohn, Honglae

2011-08-01

New gradient optical filters containing asymmetric Bragg structure were prepared from the distributed Bragg reflector (DBR) porous silicon (PSi). Anisotropic DBR PSi displaying a rainbow-colored reflection was generated by using an asymmetric etching configuration. Flexible anisotropic DBR PSi composite films were obtained by casting of polymer solution onto anisotropic DBR PSi thin films. The surface and cross-sectional images images of anisotropic DBR PSi composite films obtained with cold field emission scanning electron microscope indicated that the average pore size and the thickness of porous layer decreased as the lateral distance increased. As lateral distance increased, the reflection resonance shifted to shorter wavelength.

Optical constants, dispersion energy parameters and dielectric properties of ultra-smooth nanocrystalline BiVO4 thin films prepared by rf-magnetron sputtering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sarkar, S.; Das, N. S.; Chattopadhyay, K. K.

2014-07-01

BiVO4 thin films have been prepared through radio frequency (rf) magnetron sputtering of a pre-fabricated BiVO4 target on ITO coated glass (ITO-glass) substrate and bare glass substrates. BiVO4 target material was prepared through solid-state reaction method by heating Bi2O3 and V2O5 mixture at 800 °C for 8 h. The films were characterized by X-ray diffraction, UV-Vis spectroscopy, LCR meter, field emission scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy. BiVO4 thin films deposited on the ITO-glass substrate are much smoother compared to the thin films prepared on bare glass substrate. The rms surface roughness calculated from the AFM images comes out to be 0.74 nm and 4.2 nm for the films deposited on the ITO-glass substrate and bare glass substrate for the deposition time 150 min respectively. Optical constants and energy dispersion parameters of these extra-smooth BiVO4 thin films have been investigated in detail. Dielectric properties of the BiVO4 thin films on ITO-glass substrate were also investigated. The frequency dependence of dielectric constant of the BiVO4 thin films has been measured in the frequency range from 20 Hz to 2 MHz. It was found that the dielectric constant increased from 145 to 343 at 20 Hz as the film thickness increased from 90 nm to 145 nm (deposition time increased from 60 min to 150 min). It shows higher dielectric constant compared to the literature value of BiVO4.

Fermi energy dependence of the optical emission in core/shell InAs nanowire homostructures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Möller, M.; Oliveira, D. S.; Sahoo, P. K.; Cotta, M. A.; Iikawa, F.; Motisuke, P.; Molina-Sánchez, A.; de Lima, M. M., Jr.; García-Cristóbal, A.; Cantarero, A.

2017-07-01

InAs nanowires grown by vapor-liquid-solid (VLS) method are investigated by photoluminescence. We observe that the Fermi energy of all samples is reduced by ˜20 meV when the size of the Au nanoparticle used for catalysis is increased from 5 to 20 nm. Additional capping with a thin InP shell enhances the optical emission and does not affect the Fermi energy. The unexpected behavior of the Fermi energy is attributed to the differences in the residual donor (likely carbon) incorporation in the axial (low) and lateral (high incorporation) growth in the VLS and vapor-solid (VS) methods, respectively. The different impurity incorporation rate in these two regions leads to a core/shell InAs homostructure. In this case, the minority carriers (holes) diffuse to the core due to the built-in electric field created by the radial impurity distribution. As a result, the optical emission is dominated by the core region rather than by the more heavily doped InAs shell. Thus, the photoluminescence spectra and the Fermi energy become sensitive to the core diameter. These results are corroborated by a theoretical model using a self-consistent method to calculate the radial carrier distribution and Fermi energy for distinct diameters of Au nanoparticles.

Thin-film optical initiator

DOEpatents

Erickson, Kenneth L.

2001-01-01

A thin-film optical initiator having an inert, transparent substrate, a reactive thin film, which can be either an explosive or a pyrotechnic, and a reflective thin film. The resultant thin-film optical initiator system also comprises a fiber-optic cable connected to a low-energy laser source, an output charge, and an initiator housing. The reactive thin film, which may contain very thin embedded layers or be a co-deposit of a light-absorbing material such as carbon, absorbs the incident laser light, is volumetrically heated, and explodes against the output charge, imparting about 5 to 20 times more energy than in the incident laser pulse.

Effect of ZnO seed layer on the morphology and optical properties of ZnO nanorods grown on GaN buffer layers

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Nandi, R., E-mail: rajunandi@iitb.ac.in; Mohan, S., E-mail: rajunandi@iitb.ac.in; Major, S. S.

2014-04-24

ZnO nanorods were grown by chemical bath deposition on sputtered, polycrystalline GaN buffer layers with and without ZnO seed layer. Scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction show that the ZnO nanorods on GaN buffer layers are not vertically well aligned. Photoluminescence spectrum of ZnO nanorods grown on GaN buffer layer, however exhibits a much stronger near-band-edge emission and negligible defect emission, compared to the nanorods grown on ZnO buffer layer. These features are attributed to gallium incorporation at the ZnO-GaN interface. The introduction of a thin (25 nm) ZnO seed layer on GaN buffer layer significantly improves the morphology andmore » vertical alignment of ZnO-NRs without sacrificing the high optical quality of ZnO nanorods on GaN buffer layer. The presence of a thick (200 nm) ZnO seed layer completely masks the effect of the underlying GaN buffer layer on the morphology and optical properties of nanorods.« less

How Well Can Infrared Sounders Observe the Atmosphere and Surface Through Clouds?

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zhou, Daniel K.; Larar, Allen M.; Liu, Xu; Smith, William L.; Strow, L. Larrabee; Yang, Ping

2010-01-01

Infrared sounders, such as the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS), the Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer (IASI), and the Cross-track Infrared sounder (CrIS), have a cloud-impenetrable disadvantage in observing the atmosphere and surface under opaque cloudy conditions. However, recent studies indicate that hyperspectral, infrared sounders have the ability to detect cloud effective-optical and microphysical properties and to penetrate optically thin clouds in observing the atmosphere and surface to a certain degree. We have developed a retrieval scheme dealing with atmospheric conditions with cloud presence. This scheme can be used to analyze the retrieval accuracy of atmospheric and surface parameters under clear and cloudy conditions. In this paper, we present the surface emissivity results derived from IASI global measurements under both clear and cloudy conditions. The accuracy of surface emissivity derived under cloudy conditions is statistically estimated in comparison with those derived under clear sky conditions. The retrieval error caused by the clouds is shown as a function of cloud optical depth, which helps us to understand how well infrared sounders can observe the atmosphere and surface through clouds.

Effect of content silver and heat treatment temperature on morphological, optical, and electrical properties of ITO films by sol-gel technique

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mirzaee, Majid; Dolati, Abolghasem

2014-09-01

Silver-doped indium tin oxide thin films were synthesized using sol-gel dip-coating technique. The influence of different silver-dopant contents and annealing temperature on the electrical, optical, structural, and morphological properties of the films were characterized by means of four-point probe, UV-Vis spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscope (XPS). XRD analysis confirmed the formation of cubic bixbyte structure of In2O3 with silver nanoparticles annealed at 350 °C. XPS analysis showed that divalent tin transformed to tetravalent tin through oxidization, and silver nanoparticles embedded into ITO matrix covered with silver oxide shell, resulting in high quality nanocomposite thin films. The embedment of polyvinylpyrrolidone inhibited the growth of silver nanoparticles and ITO annealed at 350 °C. Delafossite structure of tin-doped AgInO2 was found at higher annealing temperatures. XRD analysis and FESEM micrographs showed that the optimum temperature to prevent the formation of AgInO2 is 350 °C. The embedment of silver particles (5-10 nm) from reduction of silver ion in ITO thin films improved the electrical conductivity and optical transmittance of ITO nanolayers. The lowest stable sheet resistance of 1,952 Ω/Sq for a 321 nm thick and an average optical transmittance of 91.8 % in the visible region with a band gap of 3.43 eV were achieved for silver-doping content of 0.04 M.

The Role of Morphology and Electronic Chain Aggregation on the Optical Gain Properties of Semiconducting Conjugated Polymers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lampert, Zachary Evan

Conjugated polymers (CPs) are a novel class of materials that exhibit the optical and electrical properties of semiconductors while still retaining the durability and processability of plastics. CPs are also intrinsically 4-level systems with high luminescence quantum efficiencies making them particularly attractive as organic gain media for solid-state laser applications. However, before CPs can emerge as a commercially available laser technology, a more comprehensive understanding of the morphological dependence of the photophysics is required. In this thesis, the morphology and chain conformation dependence of amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) and optical gain in thin films of poly[2-methoxy-5-(2'-ethylhexyloxy)-p-phenylene vinylene] (MEH-PPV) was investigated. By changing the chemical nature of the solvent from which films were cast, as well as the temperature at which films were annealed, CP films with different morphologies, and hence different degrees of interchain interactions were achieved. Contrary to the common perception that polymer morphology plays a decisive role in determining the ASE behavior of thin CP films, we found that chromophore aggregation and degree of conformational order have minimal impact on optical gain. In fact, experimental results indicated that an extremely large fraction of interchain aggregate species and/or exciton dissociating defects are required to significantly alter the optical properties and suppress stimulated emission. These results are pertinent to the fabrication and optimization of an electrically pumped laser device, as improvements in charge carrier mobility through controlled increases in chain aggregation may provide a viable means of optimizing injection efficiency without significantly degrading optical gain. To offset charge-induced absorption losses under electrical pumping, and to enable the use of more compact and economical sources under optical pumping, conjugated polymers exhibiting low lasing thresholds and large net gains are highly desirable. In this thesis, we also discuss novel routes we developed for enhancement of ASE performance in MEH-PPV thin film planar waveguides. The first technique relied on improving the distribution of the TE0 guided mode in the CP gain layer through optimization of waveguide architecture. This was achieved by fabricating symmetric heterostructure waveguides formed from a core layer of MEH-PPV sandwiched between an SiO2 buffer and index matched poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) cover layer. Relative to asymmetric waveguides of Si(100)/SiO2/MEH-PPV/Air, symmetric waveguides exhibited increased optical confinement and reduced propagation loss enabling lower ASE threshold (40%) and higher net gain (50%). Independent of device architecture and degree of aggregation in the films, we discovered that optical gain is also highly dependent on the excitation conditions, specifically the temporal width of the pump laser pulses. A 400% increase in net gain was achieved under transient (25 picosecond pulses), compared to quasi-steady state (8 nanosecond pulses), excitation conditions. This large difference is attributed to low pumping efficiency and increased non-radiative recombination under ns pumping, which reduces the emission cross-section resulting in a net decrease in gain. The gain values we achieved in the ps regime are to the best of our knowledge the largest gain values reported to date for thin conjugated polymer films measured using the variable stripe length (VSL) technique. Films pumped in the transient regime also required 30 times less pump energy density to reach threshold in comparison with films pumped in the quasi-steady state regime, although the excited state densities were essentially the same. These results demonstrate that the pumping efficiency, and hence generation rate of excited states in a gain medium, can be dramatically increased by using pump laser pulses that are shorter than the exciton luminescence lifetime

Effect of divalent ions on the optical emission behavior of protein thin films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bhowal, Ashim Chandra; Kundu, Sarathi

2016-05-01

Photoluminescence behaviors of proteinthin film, bovine serum albumin (BSA) have been studied in the presence of three divalent ions (Mg2+, Ca2+ and Ba2+) at different temperatures using fluorescence spectroscopy. Film thickness and morphology have been studied using atomic force microscopy. Variation of different physicochemical parameters like temperature, solvent polarity, pH, ionic strength, substrate binding etc. can make conformational changes in the protein structure and hence influences the emission behavior.In thin film conformation of BSA, dynamic quenching behavior has beenidentified in the presence of all the three divalent ions at pH≈ 5.5. Depending upon the charge density of the divalent ions interaction with protein molecules modifies and as a result quenching efficiency varies. Also after heat treatment, conformation of the protein molecules changes and as a result the quenching efficiency enhances than that of the unheated films. Studies on such protein-ion interactions and conformational variation may explore various functions of protein when it will adsorb on soft surfaces like membranes, vesicles, etc.

Contraction Signatures toward Dense Cores in the Perseus Molecular Cloud

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Campbell, J. L.; Friesen, R. K.; Martin, P. G.; Caselli, P.; Kauffmann, J.; Pineda, J. E.

2016-03-01

We report the results of an HCO+ (3-2) and N2D+ (3-2) molecular line survey performed toward 91 dense cores in the Perseus molecular cloud using the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope, to identify the fraction of starless and protostellar cores with systematic radial motions. We quantify the HCO+ asymmetry using a dimensionless asymmetry parameter δv, and identify 20 cores with significant blue or red line asymmetries in optically thick emission indicative of collapsing or expanding motions, respectively. We separately fit the HCO+ profiles with an analytic collapse model and determine contraction (expansion) speeds toward 22 cores. Comparing the δv and collapse model results, we find that δv is a good tracer of core contraction if the optically thin emission is aligned with the model-derived systemic velocity. The contraction speeds range from subsonic (0.03 km s-1) to supersonic (0.4 km s-1), where the supersonic contraction speeds may trace global rather than local core contraction. Most cores have contraction speeds significantly less than their free-fall speeds. Only 7 of 28 starless cores have spectra well-fit by the collapse model, which more than doubles (15 of 28) for protostellar cores. Starless cores with masses greater than the Jeans mass (M/MJ > 1) are somewhat more likely to show contraction motions. We find no trend of optically thin non-thermal line width with M/MJ, suggesting that any undetected contraction motions are small and subsonic. Most starless cores in Perseus are either not in a state of collapse or expansion, or are in a very early stage of collapse.

Radio continuum from FU Orionis stars

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Rodriguez, L.F.; Hartmann, L.W.; Chavira, E.

1990-12-01

Using the very large array a sensitive search is conducted for 3.6-cm continuum emission toward four FU Orionis objects: FU Ori, V1515 Cyg, V1057 Cyg, and Elias 1-12. V1057 Cyg and Elias 1-12 at the level of about 0.1 mJy is detected. The association of radio continuum emission with these FU Ori objects strengthens a possible relation between FU Ori stars and objects like L 1551 IRS 5 and Z CMa that are also sources of radio continuum emission and have been proposed as post-FU Ori objects. Whether the radio continuum emission is caused by free-free emission from ionized ejectamore » or if it is optically thin emission from a dusty disk is discussed. It was determined that, in the archives of the Tonantzintla Observatory, a plate taken in 1957 does not show Elias 1-12. This result significantly narrows the time range for the epoch of the outburst of this source to between 1957 and 1965. 38 refs.« less

Ellipsometric analysis and optical absorption characterization of gallium phosphide nanoparticulate thin film

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Qi-Xian; Wei, Wen-Sheng; Ruan, Fang-Ping

2011-04-01

Gallium phosphide (GaP) nanoparticulate thin films were easily fabricated by colloidal suspension deposition via GaP nanoparticles dispersed in N,N-dimethylformamide. The microstructure of the film was performed by x-ray diffraction, high resolution transmission electron microscopy and field emission scanning electron microscopy. The film was further investigated by spectroscopic ellipsometry. After the model GaP+void|SiO2 was built and an effective medium approximation was adopted, the values of the refractive index n and the extinction coefficient k were calculated for the energy range of 0.75 eV-4.0 eV using the dispersion formula in DeltaPsi2 software. The absorption coefficient of the film was calculated from its k and its energy gaps were further estimated according to the Tauc equation, which were further verified by its fluorescence spectrum measurement. The structure and optical absorption properties of the nanoparticulate films are promising for their potential applications in hybrid solar cells.

Effect of Fe incorporation on the optical behavior of ZnO thin films prepared by sol-gel derived spin coating techniques

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rakkesh, R. Ajay; Malathi, R.; Balakumar, S.

2013-02-01

In this work, Fe doped Zinc Oxide (ZnO) thin films were fabricated on the glass substrate by sol-gel derived spin coating technique. X-ray Diffraction studies revealed that the obtained pure and Fe doped ZnO thin films were in the wurtzite and spinel phase respectively. The three well defined Raman lines at 432, 543 and 1091 cm-1 also confirmed the lattice structure of the ZnO thin film has wurtzite symmetry. While doping Fe atoms in the ZnO, there was a significant change in the phase from wurtzite to spinel structure; owing to Fe (III) ions being incorporated into the lattice through substitution of Zn (II) ions. Room temperature PL spectra showed that the role of defect mediated red emissions at 612 nm was due to radial recombination of a photogenerated hole with an electron that belongs to the Fe atoms, which were discussed in detail.

Lithium Oxysilicate Compounds Final Report.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Apblett, Christopher A.; Coyle, Jaclyn

In this study, the structure and composition of lithium silicate thin films deposited by RF magnetron co-sputtering is investigated. Five compositions ranging from Li2Si2O5 to Li8SiO6 were confirmed by inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES) and structure analysis on the evolution of non-bridging oxygens in the thin films was conducted with fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. It was found that non-bridging oxygens (NBOs) increased as the silicate network breaks apart with increasing lithium content which agrees with previous studies on lithium silicates. Thin film impurities were examined with x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and time of flight secondary ion mass spectroscopymore » (TOFSIMS) and traced back to target synthesis. This study utilizes a unique synthesis technique for lithium silicate thin films and can be referred to in future studies on the ionic conductivity of lithium silicates formed on the surface of silicon anodes in lithium ion batteries.« less

Photoluminescence Lifetimes Exceeding 8 μs and Quantum Yields Exceeding 30% in Hybrid Perovskite Thin Films by Ligand Passivation

DOE PAGES

deQuilettes, Dane W.; Koch, Susanne; Burke, Sven; ...

2016-07-26

We study the effects of a series of post-deposition ligand treatments on the photoluminescence (PL) of polycrystalline methylammonium lead triiodide perovskite thin films. We show that a variety of Lewis bases can improve the bulk PL quantum efficiency (PLQE) and extend the average PL lifetime, , with large enhancements concentrated at grain boundaries. Notably, we demonstrate thin-film PLQE as high as 35 ± 1% and as long as 8.82 ± 0.03 μs at solar equivalent carrier densities using tri-n-octylphosphine oxide-treated films. Using glow discharge optical emission spectroscopy and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, we show that the ligands are incorporated primarilymore » at the film surface and are acting as electron donors. These results indicate it is possible to obtain thin-film PL lifetime and PLQE values that are comparable to those from single crystals by control over surface chemistry.« less

Electroluminescence and Photocurrent Generation from Atomically Sharp WSe2/MoS2 Heterojunction p–n Diodes

PubMed Central

2015-01-01

The p–n diodes represent the most fundamental device building blocks for diverse optoelectronic functions, but are difficult to achieve in atomically thin transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) due to the challenges in selectively doping them into p- or n-type semiconductors. Here, we demonstrate that an atomically thin and sharp heterojunction p–n diode can be created by vertically stacking p-type monolayer tungsten diselenide (WSe2) and n-type few-layer molybdenum disulfide (MoS2). Electrical measurements of the vertically staked WSe2/MoS2 heterojunctions reveal excellent current rectification behavior with an ideality factor of 1.2. Photocurrent mapping shows rapid photoresponse over the entire overlapping region with a highest external quantum efficiency up to 12%. Electroluminescence studies show prominent band edge excitonic emission and strikingly enhanced hot-electron luminescence. A systematic investigation shows distinct layer-number dependent emission characteristics and reveals important insight about the origin of hot-electron luminescence and the nature of electron–orbital interaction in TMDs. We believe that these atomically thin heterojunction p–n diodes represent an interesting system for probing the fundamental electro-optical properties in TMDs and can open up a new pathway to novel optoelectronic devices such as atomically thin photodetectors, photovoltaics, as well as spin- and valley-polarized light emitting diodes, on-chip lasers. PMID:25157588

Synoptic Control of Contrail Cirrus Life Cycles and Their Modification Due to Reduced Soot Number Emissions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bier, A.; Burkhardt, U.; Bock, L.

2017-11-01

The atmospheric state, aircraft emissions, and engine properties determine formation and initial properties of contrails. The synoptic situation controls microphysical and dynamical processes and causes a wide variability of contrail cirrus life cycles. A reduction of soot particle number emissions, resulting, for example, from the use of alternative fuels, strongly impacts initial ice crystal numbers and microphysical process rates of contrail cirrus. We use the European Centre/Hamburg (ECHAM) climate model version 5 including a contrail cirrus modul, studying process rates, properties, and life cycles of contrail cirrus clusters within different synoptic situations. The impact of reduced soot number emissions is approximated by a reduction in the initial ice crystal number, exemplarily studied for 80%. Contrail cirrus microphysical and macrophysical properties can depend much more strongly on the synoptic situation than on the initial ice crystal number. They can attain a large cover, optical depth, and ice water content in long-lived and large-scale ice-supersaturated areas, making them particularly climate-relevant. In those synoptic situations, the accumulated ice crystal loss due to sedimentation is increased by around 15% and the volume of contrail cirrus, exceeding an optical depth of 0.02, and their short-wave radiative impact are strongly decreased due to reduced soot emissions. These reductions are of little consequence in short-lived and small-scale ice-supersaturated areas, where contrail cirrus stay optically very thin and attain a low cover. The synoptic situations in which long-lived and climate-relevant contrail cirrus clusters can be found over the eastern U.S. occur in around 25% of cases.

Influence of precursor concentration on the structural, optical and electrical properties of indium oxide thin film prepared by a sol-gel method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lau, L. N.; Ibrahim, N. B.; Baqiah, H.

2015-08-01

This research was carried out to study the effect of different precursor concentrations on the physical properties of indium oxide (In2O3) thin film. In2O3 is a promising n-type semiconductor material that has been used in optoelectronic applications because of its highly transparent properties. It is a transparent conducting oxide with a wide band gap (∼3.7 eV). The experiment was started by preparing different precursor concentrations of indium nitrate hydrate (In (NO3)·H2O) solution and followed by the spin coating technique prior to an annealing process at 500 °C. Indium oxide thin films were characterized using an X-ray diffractometer, an ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy, a field emission scanning electron microscope and a Hall Effect Measurement System in order to determine the influence caused by the different molarities of indium oxide. The result showed that the film thickness increased with the indium oxide molarity. Film thicknesses were in the range of 0.3-135.1 nm and optical transparency of films was over 94%. Lowest resistivity of 2.52 Ω cm with a mobility of 26.60 cm2 V-1 S-1 and carrier concentration of 4.27 × 1017 cm-3 was observed for the indium oxide thin film prepared at 0.30 M.

Structural, optical and photo-catalytic activity of nanocrystalline NiO thin films

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Al-Ghamdi, Attieh A.; Abdel-wahab, M. Sh., E-mail: mshabaan90@yahoo.com; Materials Science and Nanotechnology Department, Faculty of Postgraduate Studies for Advanced Sciences, Beni-Suef University, Beni-Suef

2016-03-15

Highlights: • Synthesis of nanocrystalline NiO thin films with different thicknesses using DC magnetron sputtering technique. • Effect of film thickness and particle size on photo-catalytic degradation of methyl green dye under UV light was studied. • The deposited NiO thin films are efficient, stable and possess high photo-catalytic activity upon reuse. - Abstract: Physical deposition of nanocrystalline nickel oxide (NiO) thin films with different thickness 30, 50 and 80 nm have been done on glass substrate by DC magnetron sputtering technique and varying the deposition time from 600, 900 to 1200 s. The results of surface morphology and opticalmore » characterization of these films obtained using different characterization techniques such as X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM), photoluminescence (PL) and UV–vis spectrophotometry provide important information like formation of distinct nanostructures in different films and its effect on their optical band gap which has decreased from 3.74 to 3.37 eV as the film thickness increases. Most importantly these films have shown very high stability and a specialty to be recycled without much loss of their photo-catalytic activity, when tested as photo-catalysts for the degradation of methyl green dye (MG) from the wastewater under the exposure of 18 W energy of UV lamp.« less

Photoionization Models for the Inner Gaseous Disks of Herbig Be Stars: Evidence against Magnetospheric Accretion?

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Patel, P.; Sigut, T. A. A.; Landstreet, J. D., E-mail: ppatel54@uwo.ca

2017-02-20

We investigate the physical properties of the inner gaseous disks of three hot Herbig B2e stars, HD 76534, HD 114981, and HD 216629, by modeling CFHT-ESPaDOns spectra using non-LTE radiative transfer codes. We assume that the emission lines are produced in a circumstellar disk heated solely by photospheric radiation from the central star in order to test whether the optical and near-infrared emission lines can be reproduced without invoking magnetospheric accretion. The inner gaseous disk density was assumed to follow a simple power-law in the equatorial plane, and we searched for models that could reproduce observed lines of H imore » (H α and H β ), He i, Ca ii, and Fe ii. For the three stars, good matches were found for all emission line profiles individually; however, no density model based on a single power-law was able to reproduce all of the observed emission lines. Among the single power-law models, the one with the gas density varying as ∼10{sup −10}( R {sub *}/ R ){sup 3} g cm{sup −3} in the equatorial plane of a 25 R {sub *} (0.78 au) disk did the best overall job of representing the optical emission lines of the three stars. This model implies a mass for the H α -emitting portion of the inner gaseous disk of ∼10{sup −9} M {sub *}. We conclude that the optical emission line spectra of these HBe stars can be qualitatively reproduced by a ≈1 au, geometrically thin, circumstellar disk of negligible mass compared to the central star in Keplerian rotation and radiative equilibrium.« less

Calculation of optical band gaps of a-Si:H thin films by ellipsometry and UV-Vis spectrophotometry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Qiu, Yijiao; Li, Wei; Wu, Maoyang; Fu, Junwei; Jiang, Yadong

2010-10-01

Hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) thin films doped with Phosphorus (P) and Nitrogen (N) were deposited by radio frequency plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (RF-PECVD). The optical band gaps of the thin films obtained through either changing the gas pressure (P-doped only) or adulterating nitrogen concentration (with fixed P content) were investigated by means of Ellipsometric and Ultraviolet-Visible (UV-Vis) spectroscopy, respectively. Tauc formula was used in calculating the optical band gaps of the thin films in both methods. The results show that Ellipsometry and UV-Vis spectrophotometry can be applied in the research of the optical properties of a-Si:H thin films experimentally. Both methods reflect the variation law of the optical band gaps caused by CVD process parameters, i.e., the optical band gap of the a-Si:H thin films is increased with the rise of the gas pressure or the nitrogen concentration respectively. The difference in optical band gaps of the doped a-Si:H thin films calculated by Ellipsometry or UV-Vis spectrophotometry are not so great that they both can be used to measure the optical band gaps of the thin films in practical applications.

Simultaneous Multiwavelength Observations of V404 Cygni during its 2015 June Outburst Decay Strengthen the Case for an Extremely Energetic Jet-base

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maitra, Dipankar; Scarpaci, John F.; Grinberg, Victoria; Reynolds, Mark T.; Markoff, Sera; Maccarone, Thomas J.; Hynes, Robert I.

2017-12-01

We present results of multiband optical photometry of the black hole X-ray binary system V404 Cyg obtained using Wheaton College Observatory’s 0.3 m telescope, along with strictly simultaneous INTEGRAL and Swift observations during 2015 June 25.15–26.33 UT, and 2015 June 27.10–27.34 UT. These observations were made during the 2015 June outburst of the source when it was going through an epoch of violent activity in all wavelengths ranging from radio to γ-rays. The multiwavelength variability timescale favors a compact emission region, most likely originating in a jet outflow, for both observing epochs presented in this work. The simultaneous INTEGRAL/Imager on Board the Integral Satellite (IBIS) 20–40 keV light curve obtained during the June 27 observing run correlates very strongly with the optical light curve, with no detectable delay between the optical bands as well as between the optical and hard X-rays. The average slope of the dereddened spectral energy distribution was roughly flat between the {I}C- and V-bands during the June 27 run, even though the optical and X-ray flux varied by >25× during the run, ruling out an irradiation origin for the optical and suggesting that the optically thick to optically thin jet synchrotron break during the observations was at a frequency larger than that of V-band, which is quite extreme for X-ray binaries. These observations suggest that the optical emission originated very close to the base of the jet. A strong {{H}}α emission line, probably originating in a quasi-spherical nebula around the source, also contributes significantly in the R C -band. Our data, in conjunction with contemporaneous data at other wavelengths presented by other groups, strongly suggest that the jet-base was extremely compact and energetic during this phase of the outburst.

Enhancement of Er optical efficiency through bismuth sensitization in yttrium oxide

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Scarangella, Adriana; Dipartimento di Fisica e Astronomia, Università di Catania, Via S. Sofia 64, 95123 Catania; Reitano, Riccardo

2015-07-27

The process of energy transfer (ET) between optically active ions has been widely studied to improve the optical efficiency of a system for different applications, from lighting and photovoltaics to silicon microphotonics. In this work, we report the influence of Bi on the Er optical emission in erbium-yttrium oxide thin films synthesized by magnetron co-sputtering. We demonstrate that this host permits to well dissolve Er and Bi ions, avoiding their clustering, and thus to stabilize the optically active Er{sup 3+} and Bi{sup 3+} valence states. In addition, we establish the ET occurrence from Bi{sup 3+} to Er{sup 3+} by themore » observed Bi{sup 3+} PL emission decrease and the simultaneous Er{sup 3+} photoluminescence (PL) emission increase. This was further confirmed by the coincidence of the Er{sup 3+} and Bi{sup 3+} excitation bands, analyzed by PL excitation spectroscopy. By increasing the Bi content of two orders of magnitude inside the host, though the occurrence of Bi-Bi interactions becomes deleterious for Bi{sup 3+} optical efficiency, the ET process between Bi{sup 3+} and Er{sup 3+} is still prevalent. We estimate ET efficiency of 70% for the optimized Bi:Er ratio equal to 1:3. Moreover, we have demonstrated to enhance the Er{sup 3+} effective excitation cross section by more than three orders of magnitude with respect to the direct one, estimating a value of 5.3 × 10{sup −18} cm{sup 2}, similar to the expected Bi{sup 3+} excitation cross section. This value is one of the highest obtained for Er in Si compatible hosts. These results make this material very promising as an efficient emitter for Si-compatible photonics devices.« less

Radiative decay engineering 3. Surface plasmon-coupled directional emission

PubMed Central

Lakowicz, Joseph R.

2009-01-01

A new method of fluorescence detection that promises to increase sensitivity by 20- to 1000-fold is described. This method will also decrease the contribution of sample autofluorescence to the detected signal. The method depends on the coupling of excited fluorophores with the surface plasmon resonance present in thin metal films, typically silver and gold. The phenomenon of surface plasmon-coupled emission (SPCE) occurs for fluorophores 20–250 nm from the metal surface, allowing detection of fluorophores over substantial distances beyond the metal–sample interface. SPCE depends on interactions of the excited fluorophore with the metal surface. This interaction is independent of the mode of excitation; that is, it does not require evanescent wave or surface-plasmon excitation. In a sense, SPCE is the inverse process of the surface plasmon resonance absorption of thin metal films. Importantly, SPCE occurs over a narrow angular distribution, converting normally isotropic emission into easily collected directional emission. Up to 50% of the emission from unoriented samples can be collected, much larger than typical fluorescence collection efficiencies near 1% or less. SPCE is due only to fluorophores near the metal surface and may be regarded as emission from the induced surface plasmons. Autofluorescence from more distal parts of the sample is decreased due to decreased coupling. SPCE is highly polarized and autofluorescence can be further decreased by collecting only the polarized component or only the light propagating with the appropriate angle. Examples showing how simple optical configurations can be used in diagnostics, sensing, or biotechnology applications are presented. Surface plasmon-coupled emission is likely to find widespread applications throughout the biosciences. PMID:14690679

Thickness Dependent Nanostructural, Morphological, Optical and Impedometric Analyses of Zinc Oxide-Gold Hybrids: Nanoparticle to Thin Film

PubMed Central

Perumal, Veeradasan; Hashim, Uda; Gopinath, Subash C. B.; Haarindraprasad, R.; Liu, Wei-Wen; Poopalan, P.; Balakrishnan, S. R.; Thivina, V.; Ruslinda, A. R.

2015-01-01

The creation of an appropriate thin film is important for the development of novel sensing surfaces, which will ultimately enhance the properties and output of high-performance sensors. In this study, we have fabricated and characterized zinc oxide (ZnO) thin films on silicon substrates, which were hybridized with gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) to obtain ZnO-Aux (x = 10, 20, 30, 40 and 50 nm) hybrid structures with different thicknesses. Nanoscale imaging by field emission scanning electron microscopy revealed increasing film uniformity and coverage with the Au deposition thickness. Transmission electron microscopy analysis indicated that the AuNPs exhibit an increasing average diameter (5–10 nm). The face center cubic Au were found to co-exist with wurtzite ZnO nanostructure. Atomic force microscopy observations revealed that as the Au content increased, the overall crystallite size increased, which was supported by X-ray diffraction measurements. The structural characterizations indicated that the Au on the ZnO crystal lattice exists without any impurities in a preferred orientation (002). When the ZnO thickness increased from 10 to 40 nm, transmittance and an optical bandgap value decreased. Interestingly, with 50 nm thickness, the band gap value was increased, which might be due to the Burstein-Moss effect. Photoluminescence studies revealed that the overall structural defect (green emission) improved significantly as the Au deposition increased. The impedance measurements shows a decreasing value of impedance arc with increasing Au thicknesses (0 to 40 nm). In contrast, the 50 nm AuNP impedance arc shows an increased value compared to lower sputtering thicknesses, which indicated the presence of larger sized AuNPs that form a continuous film, and its ohmic characteristics changed to rectifying characteristics. This improved hybrid thin film (ZnO/Au) is suitable for a wide range of sensing applications. PMID:26694656

Thickness Dependent Nanostructural, Morphological, Optical and Impedometric Analyses of Zinc Oxide-Gold Hybrids: Nanoparticle to Thin Film.

PubMed

Perumal, Veeradasan; Hashim, Uda; Gopinath, Subash C B; Haarindraprasad, R; Liu, Wei-Wen; Poopalan, P; Balakrishnan, S R; Thivina, V; Ruslinda, A R

2015-01-01

The creation of an appropriate thin film is important for the development of novel sensing surfaces, which will ultimately enhance the properties and output of high-performance sensors. In this study, we have fabricated and characterized zinc oxide (ZnO) thin films on silicon substrates, which were hybridized with gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) to obtain ZnO-Aux (x = 10, 20, 30, 40 and 50 nm) hybrid structures with different thicknesses. Nanoscale imaging by field emission scanning electron microscopy revealed increasing film uniformity and coverage with the Au deposition thickness. Transmission electron microscopy analysis indicated that the AuNPs exhibit an increasing average diameter (5-10 nm). The face center cubic Au were found to co-exist with wurtzite ZnO nanostructure. Atomic force microscopy observations revealed that as the Au content increased, the overall crystallite size increased, which was supported by X-ray diffraction measurements. The structural characterizations indicated that the Au on the ZnO crystal lattice exists without any impurities in a preferred orientation (002). When the ZnO thickness increased from 10 to 40 nm, transmittance and an optical bandgap value decreased. Interestingly, with 50 nm thickness, the band gap value was increased, which might be due to the Burstein-Moss effect. Photoluminescence studies revealed that the overall structural defect (green emission) improved significantly as the Au deposition increased. The impedance measurements shows a decreasing value of impedance arc with increasing Au thicknesses (0 to 40 nm). In contrast, the 50 nm AuNP impedance arc shows an increased value compared to lower sputtering thicknesses, which indicated the presence of larger sized AuNPs that form a continuous film, and its ohmic characteristics changed to rectifying characteristics. This improved hybrid thin film (ZnO/Au) is suitable for a wide range of sensing applications.

Optical Characterization of Tb3+:BaHfO3 Thin Films by Means of Photoacoustic Spectroscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jiménez Flores, Yolanda; Nogal, Uriel; Suárez Quezada, Víctor Manuel; Rojas-Trigos, José Bruno

2018-06-01

In this work, the synthesis and optical characterization of Al2O3/Tb3+:BaHfO3/Al2O3 heterostructure, grown by ultrasonic spray pyrolysis technique are reported. The X-ray diffraction patterns corroborate that the scintillator layer structure corresponds to perovskite structure, while the elemental chemical composition of it is close to the optimal stoichiometry, but showing barium vacancies. The empirical determination of the optical bandgap energy, achieved by means of the photoacoustic spectroscopy technique, set a principal direct band gap in 3.8 eV, but evidencing the existence of a larger indirect bandgap also. The photoluminescent spectroscopy measurements show that the heterostructure has an intense fluorescent response, congruent to the principal emission lines of trivalent terbium, as was intended to.

Structural, optical, and photoluminescence characterization of electron beam evaporated ZnS/CdSe nanoparticles thin films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mohamed, S. H.; Ali, H. M.

2011-01-01

Structural, optical, and photoluminescence investigations of ZnS capped with CdSe films prepared by electron beam evaporation are presented. X-ray diffraction analysis revealed that the ZnS/CdSe nanoparticles films contain cubic cadmium selenide and hexagonal zinc sulfide crystals and the ZnS grain sizes increased with increasing ZnS thickness. The refractive index was evaluated in terms of envelope method, which has been suggested by Swanepoel in the transparent region. The refractive index values were found to increase with increasing ZnS thickness. However, the optical band gap and the extinction coefficient were decreased with increasing ZnS thickness. Photoluminescence (PL) investigations revealed the presence of two broad emission bands. The ZnS thickness significantly influenced the PL intensities.

Effects of phosphorus doping by plasma immersion ion implantation on the structural and optical characteristics of Zn{sub 0.85}Mg{sub 0.15}O thin films

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Saha, S.; Nagar, S.; Chakrabarti, S., E-mail: subho@ee.iitb.ac.in

2014-08-11

ZnMgO thin films deposited on 〈100〉 Si substrates by RF sputtering were annealed at 800, 900, and 1000 °C after phosphorus plasma immersion ion implantation. X-ray diffraction spectra confirmed the presence of 〈101{sup ¯}0〉 and 〈101{sup ¯}3〉 peaks for all the samples. However, in case of the annealed samples, the 〈0002〉 peak was also observed. Scanning electron microscopy images revealed the variation in surface morphology caused by phosphorus implantation. Implanted and non-implanted samples were compared to examine the effects of phosphorus implantation on the optical properties of ZnMgO. Optical characteristics were investigated by low-temperature (15 K) photoluminescence experiments. Inelastic exciton–exciton scattering andmore » localized, and delocalized excitonic peaks appeared at 3.377, 3.42, and 3.45 eV, respectively, revealing the excitonic effect resulting from phosphorus implantation. This result is important because inelastic exciton–exciton scattering leads to nonlinear emission, which can improve the performance of many optoelectronic devices.« less

Sol-gel route to highly transparent (Ho0.05Y0.95)2Ti2O7 thin films for active optical components operating at 2 μm

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vytykáčová, Soňa; Mrázek, Jan; Puchý, Viktor; Džunda, Róbert; Skála, Roman; Peterka, Pavel; Kašík, Ivan

2018-04-01

We present a generic sol-gel route to the preparation of optically active nanocrystalline holmium-yttrium titanate (Ho0.05Y0.95)2Ti2O7 thin films, which exhibit a strong luminescence at 2 μm. The films were prepared by the sol-gel process and thermally treated in a rapid thermal annealing furnace. The nanocrystal size and optical properties were tailored by the processing temperature. The final film thickness was around 500 nm. X-ray diffraction analysis and Raman spectroscopy confirmed the high purity of the crystal phase of (Ho0.05Y0.95)2Ti2O7. The activation energy of crystal growth was 35.7 kJ mol-1. The films had excellent structural and surface homogeneity causing their high transparency close to the theoretical limit of 93.39%. Refractive index of the film heat-treated at 1000 °C was around 1.98. The films exhibited strong emission at 2 μm with a luminescence lifetime around 4.6 ms. Their properties together with processing feasibility make them promising materials for photonic applications.

Formation of thin film like assembly of exfoliated C3N4 nanoflakes by solvent non-evaporative method using centrifuge

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tejasvi, Ravi; Basu, Suddhasatwa

2017-12-01

A simple method for depositing a thin film of nanomaterial on a substrate using centrifugation technique has been developed, whereby solvent evaporation is prevented and solvent reuse is possible. The centrifuge technique of deposition yields uniform, smooth thin film irrespective of substrate surface texture. The deposited TiO2/eC3N4 film studied, through field emission scanning electron microscope, atomic force microscope, and optical surface profilometer, shows variation in surface roughness on the basis of centrifugation speeds. Initially film coverage improves and surface roughness decreases with the increase in rpm of the centrifuge and the surface roughness slightly increases with further increase in rpm. The photoelectrochemical studies of TiO2/eC3N4 films suggest that the centrifuge technique forms better heterojunctions compared to that by spin coating technique leading to enhanced photoelectrochemical water splitting.

Light management in flexible OLEDs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harkema, Stephan; Pendyala, Raghu K.; Geurts, Christian G. C.; Helgers, Paul L. J.; Levell, Jack W.; Wilson, Joanne S.; MacKerron, Duncan

2014-10-01

Organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) are a promising lighting technology. In particular OLEDs fabricated on plastic foils are believed to hold the future. These planar devices are subject to various optical losses, which requires sophisticated light management solutions. Flexible OLEDs on plastic substrates are as prone to losses related to wave guiding as devices on glass. However, we determined that OLEDs on plastic substrates are susceptible to another loss mode due to wave guiding in the thin film barrier. With modeling of white polymer OLEDs fabricated on PEN substrates, we demonstrate that this loss mode is particularly sensitive to polarized light emission. Furthermore, we investigated how thin film barrier approaches can be combined with high index light extraction layers. Our analysis shows that OLEDs with a thin film barrier consisting of an inorganic/organic/inorganic layer sequence, a low index inorganic negatively affects the OLED efficiency. We conclude that high index inorganics are more suitable for usage in high efficiency flexible OLEDs.

A Consistent Picture Emerges: A Compact X-Ray Continuum Emission Region in the Gravitationally Lensed Quasar SDSS J0924+0219

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

MacLeod, Chelsea L.; Morgan, Christopher W.; Mosquera, A.; Kochanek, C. S.; Tewes, M.; Courbin, F.; Meylan, G.; Chen, B.; Dai, X.; Chartas, G.

2015-06-01

We analyze the optical, UV, and X-ray microlensing variability of the lensed quasar SDSS J0924+0219 using six epochs of Chandra data in two energy bands (spanning 0.4-8.0 keV, or 1-20 keV in the quasar rest frame), 10 epochs of F275W (rest-frame 1089 Å) Hubble Space Telescope data, and high-cadence R-band (rest-frame 2770 Å) monitoring spanning 11 years. Our joint analysis provides robust constraints on the extent of the X-ray continuum emission region and the projected area of the accretion disk. The best-fit half-light radius of the soft X-ray continuum emission region is between 5× {10}13 and 1015 cm, and we find an upper limit of 1015 cm for the hard X-rays. The best-fit soft-band size is about 13 times smaller than the optical size, and roughly 7{{GM}}{BH}/{c}2 for a 2.8× {10}8 {M}⊙ black hole, similar to the results for other systems. We find that the UV emitting region falls in between the optical and X-ray emitting regions at 1014 cm \\lt {r}1/2,{UV}\\lt 3× {10}15 cm. Finally, the optical size is significantly larger, by 1.5σ, than the theoretical thin-disk estimate based on the observed, magnification-corrected I-band flux, suggesting a shallower temperature profile than expected for a standard disk.

Atmospheric gas dynamics in the Perseus cluster observed with Hitomi

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hitomi Collaboration; Aharonian, Felix; Akamatsu, Hiroki; Akimoto, Fumie; Allen, Steven W.; Angelini, Lorella; Audard, Marc; Awaki, Hisamitsu; Axelsson, Magnus; Bamba, Aya; Bautz, Marshall W.; Blandford, Roger; Brenneman, Laura W.; Brown, Gregory V.; Bulbul, Esra; Cackett, Edward M.; Canning, Rebecca E. A.; Chernyakova, Maria; Chiao, Meng P.; Coppi, Paolo S.; Costantini, Elisa; de Plaa, Jelle; de Vries, Cor P.; den Herder, Jan-Willem; Done, Chris; Dotani, Tadayasu; Ebisawa, Ken; Eckart, Megan E.; Enoto, Teruaki; Ezoe, Yuichiro; Fabian, Andrew C.; Ferrigno, Carlo; Foster, Adam R.; Fujimoto, Ryuichi; Fukazawa, Yasushi; Furuzawa, Akihiro; Galeazzi, Massimiliano; Gallo, Luigi C.; Gandhi, Poshak; Giustini, Margherita; Goldwurm, Andrea; Gu, Liyi; Guainazzi, Matteo; Haba, Yoshito; Hagino, Kouichi; Hamaguchi, Kenji; Harrus, Ilana M.; Hatsukade, Isamu; Hayashi, Katsuhiro; Hayashi, Takayuki; Hayashi, Tasuku; Hayashida, Kiyoshi; Hiraga, Junko S.; Hornschemeier, Ann; Hoshino, Akio; Hughes, John P.; Ichinohe, Yuto; Iizuka, Ryo; Inoue, Hajime; Inoue, Shota; Inoue, Yoshiyuki; Ishida, Manabu; Ishikawa, Kumi; Ishisaki, Yoshitaka; Iwai, Masachika; Kaastra, Jelle; Kallman, Tim; Kamae, Tsuneyoshi; Kataoka, Jun; Katsuda, Satoru; Kawai, Nobuyuki; Kelley, Richard L.; Kilbourne, Caroline A.; Kitaguchi, Takao; Kitamoto, Shunji; Kitayama, Tetsu; Kohmura, Takayoshi; Kokubun, Motohide; Koyama, Katsuji; Koyama, Shu; Kretschmar, Peter; Krimm, Hans A.; Kubota, Aya; Kunieda, Hideyo; Laurent, Philippe; Lee, Shiu-Hang; Leutenegger, Maurice A.; Limousin, Olivier; Loewenstein, Michael; Long, Knox S.; Lumb, David; Madejski, Greg; Maeda, Yoshitomo; Maier, Daniel; Makishima, Kazuo; Markevitch, Maxim; Matsumoto, Hironori; Matsushita, Kyoko; McCammon, Dan; McNamara, Brian R.; Mehdipour, Missagh; Miller, Eric D.; Miller, Jon M.; Mineshige, Shin; Mitsuda, Kazuhisa; Mitsuishi, Ikuyuki; Miyazawa, Takuya; Mizuno, Tsunefumi; Mori, Hideyuki; Mori, Koji; Mukai, Koji; Murakami, Hiroshi; Mushotzky, Richard F.; Nakagawa, Takao; Nakajima, Hiroshi; Nakamori, Takeshi; Nakashima, Shinya; Nakazawa, Kazuhiro; Nobukawa, Kumiko K.; Nobukawa, Masayoshi; Noda, Hirofumi; Odaka, Hirokazu; Ohashi, Takaya; Ohno, Masanori; Okajima, Takashi; Ota, Naomi; Ozaki, Masanobu; Paerels, Frits; Paltani, Stéphane; Petre, Robert; Pinto, Ciro; Porter, Frederick S.; Pottschmidt, Katja; Reynolds, Christopher S.; Safi-Harb, Samar; Saito, Shinya; Sakai, Kazuhiro; Sasaki, Toru; Sato, Goro; Sato, Kosuke; Sato, Rie; Sawada, Makoto; Schartel, Norbert; Serlemtsos, Peter J.; Seta, Hiromi; Shidatsu, Megumi; Simionescu, Aurora; Smith, Randall K.; Soong, Yang; Stawarz, Łukasz; Sugawara, Yasuharu; Sugita, Satoshi; Szymkowiak, Andrew; Tajima, Hiroyasu; Takahashi, Hiromitsu; Takahashi, Tadayuki; Takeda, Shin'ichiro; Takei, Yoh; Tamagawa, Toru; Tamura, Takayuki; Tanaka, Keigo; Tanaka, Takaaki; Tanaka, Yasuo; Tanaka, Yasuyuki T.; Tashiro, Makoto S.; Tawara, Yuzuru; Terada, Yukikatsu; Terashima, Yuichi; Tombesi, Francesco; Tomida, Hiroshi; Tsuboi, Yohko; Tsujimoto, Masahiro; Tsunemi, Hiroshi; Tsuru, Takeshi Go; Uchida, Hiroyuki; Uchiyama, Hideki; Uchiyama, Yasunobu; Ueda, Shutaro; Ueda, Yoshihiro; Uno, Shin'ichiro; Urry, C. Megan; Ursino, Eugenio; Wang, Qian H. S.; Watanabe, Shin; Werner, Norbert; Wilkins, Dan R.; Williams, Brian J.; Yamada, Shinya; Yamaguchi, Hiroya; Yamaoka, Kazutaka; Yamasaki, Noriko Y.; Yamauchi, Makoto; Yamauchi, Shigeo; Yaqoob, Tahir; Yatsu, Yoichi; Yonetoku, Daisuke; Zhuravleva, Irina; Zoghbi, Abderahmen

2018-03-01

Extending the earlier measurements reported in Hitomi collaboration (2016, Nature, 535, 117), we examine the atmospheric gas motions within the central 100 kpc of the Perseus cluster using observations obtained with the Hitomi satellite. After correcting for the point spread function of the telescope and using optically thin emission lines, we find that the line-of-sight velocity dispersion of the hot gas is remarkably low and mostly uniform. The velocity dispersion reaches a maxima of approximately 200 km s-1 toward the central active galactic nucleus (AGN) and toward the AGN inflated northwestern "ghost" bubble. Elsewhere within the observed region, the velocity dispersion appears constant around 100 km s-1. We also detect a velocity gradient with a 100 km s-1 amplitude across the cluster core, consistent with large-scale sloshing of the core gas. If the observed gas motions are isotropic, the kinetic pressure support is less than 10% of the thermal pressure support in the cluster core. The well-resolved, optically thin emission lines have Gaussian shapes, indicating that the turbulent driving scale is likely below 100 kpc, which is consistent with the size of the AGN jet inflated bubbles. We also report the first measurement of the ion temperature in the intracluster medium, which we find to be consistent with the electron temperature. In addition, we present a new measurement of the redshift of the brightest cluster galaxy NGC 1275.

Silicon solar cell performance deposited by diamond like carbon thin film ;Atomic oxygen effects;

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aghaei, Abbas Ail; Eshaghi, Akbar; Karami, Esmaeil

2017-09-01

In this research, a diamond-like carbon thin film was deposited on p-type polycrystalline silicon solar cell via plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition method by using methane and hydrogen gases. The effect of atomic oxygen on the functioning of silicon coated DLC thin film and silicon was investigated. Raman spectroscopy, field emission scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy and attenuated total reflection-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy were used to characterize the structure and morphology of the DLC thin film. Photocurrent-voltage characteristics of the silicon solar cell were carried out using a solar simulator. The results showed that atomic oxygen exposure induced the including oxidation, structural changes, cross-linking reactions and bond breaking of the DLC film; thus reducing the optical properties. The photocurrent-voltage characteristics showed that although the properties of the fabricated thin film were decreased after being exposed to destructive rays, when compared with solar cell without any coating, it could protect it in atomic oxygen condition enhancing solar cell efficiency up to 12%. Thus, it can be said that diamond-like carbon thin layer protect the solar cell against atomic oxygen exposure.

Low Temperature Synthesis of Fluorine-Doped Tin Oxide Transparent Conducting Thin Film by Spray Pyrolysis Deposition.

PubMed

Ko, Eun-Byul; Choi, Jae-Seok; Jung, Hyunsung; Choi, Sung-Churl; Kim, Chang-Yeoul

2016-02-01

Transparent conducting oxide (TCO) is widely used for the application of flat panel display like liquid crystal displays and plasma display panel. It is also applied in the field of touch panel, solar cell electrode, low-emissivity glass, defrost window, and anti-static material. Fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) thin films were fabricated by spray pyrolysis of ethanol-added FTO precursor solutions. FTO thin film by spray pyrolysis is very much investigated and normally formed at high temperature, about 500 degrees C. However, these days, flexible electronics draw many attentions in the field of IT industry and the research for flexible transparent conducting thin film is also required. In the industrial field, indium-tin oxide (ITO) film on polymer substrate is widely used for touch panel and displays. In this study, we investigated the possibility of FTO thin film formation at relatively low temperature of 250 degrees C. We found out that the control of volume of input precursor and exhaust gases could make it possible to form FTO thin film with a relatively low electrical resistance, less than 100 Ohm/sq and high optical transmittance about 88%.

Optical and Thermo-optical Properties of Polyimide-Single-Walled Carbon Nanotube Films: Experimental Results and Empirical Equations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Smith, Joseph G., Jr.; Connell, John W.; Watson, Kent A.; Danehy, Paul M.

2005-01-01

The incorporation of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) into the bulk of space environmentally durable polymers at loading levels greater than or equal to 0.05 wt % has afforded thin films with surface and volume resistivities sufficient for electrostatic charge mitigation. However, the optical transparency at 500 nm decreased and the thermo-optical properties (solar absorptivity and thermal emissivity) increased with increaed SWNT loading. These properties were also dependent on film thickness. The absorbance characteristics of the films as a function of SWNT loading and film thickness were measured and determined to follow the classical Beer-Lambert law. Based on these results, an empirical relationship was derived and molar absorptivities determined for both the SWNTs and polymer matrix to provide a predictive approximation of these properties. The molar absorptivity determined for SWNTs dispersed in the polymer was comparable to reported solution determined values for HiPco SWNTs.

Near Infrared Emission from Defects in Few-Layer Phosphorene

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aghaeimeibodi, Shahriar; Kim, Je-Hyung; Waks, Edo

Atomically thin films of black phosphorus have recently received significant attention as low dimensional optical materials with a direct exciton emission whose wavelength is tunable by controlling the number of layers. In addition to this excitonic emission, recent work has revealed emission from defect states and reported new methods to manipulate them. Monolayer phosphorene exhibits emission from localized defect states at wavelengths near 920 nm. Increasing the number of layers should shift defect emission to longer wavelengths, enabling the material to span a broader spectral range. But defect emission from few-layer phosphorene has not yet been reported. Here, we demonstrate a new class of near infrared defects in few layer phosphorene. Photoluminescence measurement shows a bright emission around 1240 nm with a sublinear growth of emission intensity with linear increase of excitation intensity, confirming the defect nature of this emission. From time-resolved lifetime measurements we determine an emission lifetime of 1.2 ns, in contrast to exciton and trion lifetimes from few layer phosphorene previously reported to be in the range of a few hundred picoseconds. This work highlights the potential of bright defects of phosphorene for near infrared optoelectronic applications.

An electron impact emission spectroscopy flux sensor for monitoring deposition rate at high background gas pressure with improved accuracy

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lu, C.; Blissett, C. D.; Diehl, G.

2008-07-15

Electron impact emission spectroscopy (EIES) has been proven to be a critical tool for film composition control during codeposition processes for the fabrication of multicomponent thin film materials including the high-efficiency copper-indium-gallium-diselenide photovoltaic cells. This technique is highly specific to atomic species because the emission spectrum of each element is unique, and the typical width of atomic emission lines is very narrow. Noninterfering emission lines can generally be allocated to different atomic species. However, the electron impact emission spectra of many molecular species are often broadband in nature. When the optical emission from an EIES sensor is measured by usingmore » a wavelength selection device with a modest resolution, such as an optical filter or monochromator, the emissions from common residual gases may interfere with that from the vapor flux and cause erroneous flux measurement. The interference is most pronounced when measuring low flux density with the presence of gases such as in reactive deposition processes. This problem is solved by using a novel EIES sensor that has two electron impact excitation sources in separate compartments but with one common port for optical output. The vapor flux is allowed to pass through one compartment only. Using a tristate excitation scheme and appropriate signal processing technique, the interfering signals from residual gases can be completely eliminated from the output signal of the EIES monitor for process control. Data obtained from Cu and Ga evaporations with the presence of common residual gases such as CO{sub 2} and H{sub 2}O are shown to demonstrate the improvement in sensor performance. The new EIES sensor is capable of eliminating the effect of interfering residual gases with pressure as high as in the upper 10{sup -5} Torr range.« less

XMM-Newton studies of the supernova remnant G350.0-2.0

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Karpova, A.; Shternin, P.; Zyuzin, D.; Danilenko, A.; Shibanov, Yu.

2016-11-01

We report the results of XMM-Newton observations of the Galactic mixed-morphology supernova remnant G350.0-2.0. Diffuse thermal X-ray emission fills the north-western part of the remnant surrounded by radio shell-like structures. We did not detect any X-ray counterpart of the latter structures, but found several bright blobs within the diffuse emission. The X-ray spectrum of the most part of the remnant can be described by a collisionally ionized plasma model VAPEC with solar abundances and a temperature of ≈0.8 keV. The solar abundances of plasma indicate that the X-ray emission comes from the shocked interstellar material. The overabundance of Fe was found in some of the bright blobs. We also analysed the brightest point-like X-ray source 1RXS J172653.4-382157 projected on the extended emission. Its spectrum is well described by the two-temperature optically thin thermal plasma model MEKAL typical for cataclysmic variable stars. The cataclysmic variable source nature is supported by the presence of a faint (g ≈ 21) optical source with non-stellar spectral energy distribution at the X-ray position of 1RXS J172653.4-382157. It was detected with the XMM-Newton optical/UV monitor in the U filter and was also found in the archival Hα and optical/near-infrared broad-band sky survey images. On the other hand, the X-ray spectrum is also described by the power law plus thermal component model typical for a rotation powered pulsar. Therefore, the pulsar interpretation of the source cannot be excluded. For this source, we derived the upper limit for the pulsed fraction of 27 per cent.

Excitation of propagating surface plasmons with a scanning tunnelling microscope.

PubMed

Wang, T; Boer-Duchemin, E; Zhang, Y; Comtet, G; Dujardin, G

2011-04-29

Inelastic electron tunnelling excitation of propagating surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs) on a thin gold film is demonstrated. This is done by combining a scanning tunnelling microscope (STM) with an inverted optical microscope. Analysis of the leakage radiation in both the image and Fourier planes unambiguously shows that the majority (up to 99.5%) of the detected photons originate from propagating SPPs with propagation lengths of the order of 10  µm. The remaining photon emission is localized under the STM tip and is attributed to a tip-gold film coupled plasmon resonance as evidenced by the bimodal spectral distribution and enhanced emission intensity observed using a silver STM tip for excitation.

Passive microwave observations of the Wedell Sea during austral winter and early spring

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Grenfell, T. C.; Comiso, J. C.; Lange, M. A.; Eicken, H.; Wensnahan, M. R.

1994-01-01

The results of multispectral passive microwave observations (6.7 to 90-GHz) are presented from the cruises of the FS Polarstern in the Weddell Sea from July to December 1986. This paper includes primarily the analysis of radiometric observations taken at ice station sites. Averaged emissivity spectra for first-year (FY) ice were relatively constant throughout the experiment and were not statistically different from FY ice signatures in the Arctic. Detailed ice characterization was carried out at each site to compare the microwave signatures of the ice with the physical properties. Absorption optical depths of FY ice were found to be sufficiently high that only the structure in the upper portions of the ice contributed significantly to interstation emissivity variations. The emissivities at 90-GHz, e(90), had the greatest variance. Both e(90) at vertical polarization and GR(sub e)(90, 18.7)(defined as (e(sub V)(90)-e(sub V)(18.7))/e(sub V)(90 + e(sub V)(18.7)) depended on the scattering optical depth which is a function of the snow grain diameter and layer thickness. The variance showed a latitude dependence and is probably due to an increase in the strength of snow metamorphism nearer the northern edge of the ice pack. The contribution of variations of near-surface brine volume to the emissivity was not significant over the range of values encountered at the station sites. Emissivity spectra are presented for a range of thin ice types. Unsupervised principal component analysis produced three significant eigenvectors and showed a separation among four different surface types: open water, thin ice, FY ice, and FY ice with a thick snow cover. A comparison with SMMR satellite data showed that average ice concentrations derived from the ship's ice watch log were consistent with the satellite concentrations. The surface based emissivities for FY ice were also compared with emissivities calculated from scanning multichannel microwave radiometer (SMMR) satellite radiances. Best agreement was found at 6.7 and 10-GHz, while at 18 and 37-GHz, SMMR emissivities were slightly lower than surface based results. For the three lower frequencies agreement was found within a confidence limit of 95% and for 37-GHz within about 90%.

Observations of Circumstellar Disks with Infrared Interferometry

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Akeson, Rachel

2008-01-01

Star formation is arguably the area of astrophysics in which infrared interferometry has had the biggest impact. The optically thick portion of T Tauri and Herbig Ae/Be disks DO NOT extend to a few stellar radii of the stellar surface. Emission is coming from near the dust sublimation radius, but not all from a single radius. The Herbig Ae stars can be either flared or self-shadowed but very massive (early Be) stars are geometrically thin. The Herbig Ae stars can be either flared or self-shadowed but very massive (early Be) stars are geometrically thin. Observational prospects are rapidly improving: a) Higher spectral resolution will allow observations of the gas: jets, winds, accretion. b) Closure phase and imaging will help eliminate model uncertainties/dependencies.

Optical characterization of Mg-doped ZnO thin films deposited by RF magnetron sputtering technique

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Singh, Satyendra Kumar; Tripathi, Shweta; Hazra, Purnima

2016-05-06

This paper reports the in-depth analysis on optical characteristics of magnesium (Mg) doped zinc oxide (ZnO) thin films grown on p-silicon (Si) substrates by RF magnetron sputtering technique. The variable angle ellipsometer is used for the optical characterization of as-deposited thin films. The optical reflectance, transmission spectra and thickness of as-deposited thin films are measured in the spectral range of 300-800 nm with the help of the spectroscopic ellipsometer. The effect of Mg-doping on optical parameters such as optical bandgap, absorption coefficient, absorbance, extinction coefficient, refractive Index and dielectric constant for as-deposited thin films are extracted to show its application inmore » optoelectronic and photonic devices.« less

Multiwavelength Observations of the 2002 Outburst of GX 339-4: Two Patterns of X-Ray-Optical/Near-Infrared Behavior

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Homan, Jeroen; Buxton, Michelle; Markoff, Sera; Bailyn, Charles D.; Nespoli, Elisa; Belloni, Tomaso

2005-05-01

We report on quasi-simultaneous Rossi X-Ray Timing Explorer and optical/near-infrared (NIR) observations of the black hole candidate X-ray transient GX 339-4. Our observations were made over a time span of more than 8 months in 2002 and cover the initial rise and transition from a hard to a soft spectral state in X-rays. Two distinct patterns of correlated X-ray-optical/NIR behavior were found. During the hard state, the optical/NIR and X-ray fluxes correlated well, with a NIR versus X-ray flux power-law slope similar to that of the correlation found between X-ray and radio fluxes in previous studies of GX 339-4 and other black hole binaries. As the source went through an intermediate state, the optical/NIR fluxes decreased rapidly, and once it had entered the spectrally soft state, the optical/NIR spectrum of GX 339-4 was much bluer, and the ratio of X-ray to NIR flux was higher by a factor of more than 10 compared to the hard state. In the spectrally soft state, changes in the NIR preceded those in the soft X-rays by more than 2 weeks, indicating a disk origin of the NIR emission and providing a measure of the viscous timescale. A sudden onset of NIR flaring of ~0.5 mag on a timescale of 1 day was also observed during this period. We present spectral energy distributions, including radio data, and discuss possible sources for the optical/NIR emission. We conclude that, in the hard state, this emission probably originates in the optically thin part of a jet and that in none of the X-ray states is X-ray reprocessing the dominant source of optical/NIR emission. Finally, comparing the light curves from the all-sky monitor (ASM) and Proportional Counter Array (PCA) instruments, we find that the X-ray/NIR delay depends critically on the sensitivity of the X-ray detector, with the delay inferred from the PCA (if present at all) being a factor of 3-6 times shorter than the delay inferred from the ASM; this may be important in interpreting previously reported X-ray-optical/NIR lags.

Controlling thermal emission with refractory epsilon-near-zero metamaterials via topological transitions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dyachenko, P. N.; Molesky, S.; Petrov, A. Yu; Störmer, M.; Krekeler, T.; Lang, S.; Ritter, M.; Jacob, Z.; Eich, M.

2016-06-01

Control of thermal radiation at high temperatures is vital for waste heat recovery and for high-efficiency thermophotovoltaic (TPV) conversion. Previously, structural resonances utilizing gratings, thin film resonances, metasurfaces and photonic crystals were used to spectrally control thermal emission, often requiring lithographic structuring of the surface and causing significant angle dependence. In contrast, here, we demonstrate a refractory W-HfO2 metamaterial, which controls thermal emission through an engineered dielectric response function. The epsilon-near-zero frequency of a metamaterial and the connected optical topological transition (OTT) are adjusted to selectively enhance and suppress the thermal emission in the near-infrared spectrum, crucial for improved TPV efficiency. The near-omnidirectional and spectrally selective emitter is obtained as the emission changes due to material properties and not due to resonances or interference effects, marking a paradigm shift in thermal engineering approaches. We experimentally demonstrate the OTT in a thermally stable metamaterial at high temperatures of 1,000 °C.

Long-Term Spectral Variability of the Spotted Star IN Com

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alekseev, I. Yu.; Kozlova, O. V.; Gorda, S. Yu.; Avvakumova, E. A.; Kozhevnikova, A. V.

2017-06-01

We present long-term (2004-2016) spectral observations (R = 20000) of IN Com in the regions of Hα, Hβ and He I 5876 Å lines. The unique feature of the stellar spectrum is the presence of the extended two-component emission with limits up to ± 400 km s-1 in the Hα line. Emission parameters show the rotation modulation with the stellar rotation period and a significant variability on the long-term scale. Similar emission is also observed in Hβ and He I 5876 Å lines. Our results allow us to conclude that observational emission profiles are formed in optically thin hot gas. It is a result of presence of a circumstellar gas disk around IN Com. Its size is not exceed several stellar radii. The matter for the disk is supported by stellar wind. Detected variability of Hα emission parameters shows evident relation with UBVRI photometric activity of the star. This fact allowed us to link the long-term spectral variability with cycles of stellar activity of IN Com.

Hard Burst Emission from the Soft Gamma Repeater SGR 1900+14

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Woods, Peter M.; Kouveliotou, Chryssa; VanParadijs, Jan; Briggs, Michael S.; Hurley, Kevin; Gogus, Ersin; Preece, Robert D.; Giblin, Timothy W.; Thompson, Christopher; Duncan, Robert C.

1999-01-01

We present evidence for burst emission from SGR 1900 + 14 with a power-law high-energy spectrum extending beyond 500 keV. Unlike previous detections of high-energy photons during bursts from soft gamma repeaters (SGRs), these emissions are not associated with extraordinarily bright flares. Not only is the emission hard, but the spectra are better fitted by D. Band's gamma-ray burst (GRB) function rather than by the traditional optically thin thermal bremsstrahlung model. We find that the spectral evolution within these hard events obeys a hardness/intensity anticorrelation. Temporally, these events are distinct from typical SGR burst emissions in that they are longer (approximately 1 s) and have relatively smooth profiles. Despite a difference in peak luminosity of approximately > 10(exp 11) between these bursts from SGR 1900 + 14 and cosmological GRBs, there are striking temporal and spectral similarities between the two kinds of bursts, aside from spectral evolution. We outline an interpretation of these events in the context of the magnetar model.

Plasmon enhanced terahertz emission from single layer graphene.

PubMed

Bahk, Young-Mi; Ramakrishnan, Gopakumar; Choi, Jongho; Song, Hyelynn; Choi, Geunchang; Kim, Yong Hyup; Ahn, Kwang Jun; Kim, Dai-Sik; Planken, Paul C M

2014-09-23

We show that surface plasmons, excited with femtosecond laser pulses on continuous or discontinuous gold substrates, strongly enhance the generation and emission of ultrashort, broadband terahertz pulses from single layer graphene. Without surface plasmon excitation, for graphene on glass, 'nonresonant laser-pulse-induced photon drag currents' appear to be responsible for the relatively weak emission of both s- and p-polarized terahertz pulses. For graphene on a discontinuous layer of gold, only the emission of the p-polarized terahertz electric field is enhanced, whereas the s-polarized component remains largely unaffected, suggesting the presence of an additional terahertz generation mechanism. We argue that in the latter case, 'surface-plasmon-enhanced optical rectification', made possible by the lack of inversion symmetry at the graphene on gold surface, is responsible for the strongly enhanced emission. The enhancement occurs because the electric field of surface plasmons is localized and enhanced where the graphene is located: at the surface of the metal. We believe that our results point the way to small, thin, and more efficient terahertz photonic devices.

Controlling thermal emission with refractory epsilon-near-zero metamaterials via topological transitions

PubMed Central

Dyachenko, P. N.; Molesky, S.; Petrov, A. Yu; Störmer, M.; Krekeler, T.; Lang, S.; Ritter, M.; Jacob, Z.; Eich, M.

2016-01-01

Control of thermal radiation at high temperatures is vital for waste heat recovery and for high-efficiency thermophotovoltaic (TPV) conversion. Previously, structural resonances utilizing gratings, thin film resonances, metasurfaces and photonic crystals were used to spectrally control thermal emission, often requiring lithographic structuring of the surface and causing significant angle dependence. In contrast, here, we demonstrate a refractory W-HfO2 metamaterial, which controls thermal emission through an engineered dielectric response function. The epsilon-near-zero frequency of a metamaterial and the connected optical topological transition (OTT) are adjusted to selectively enhance and suppress the thermal emission in the near-infrared spectrum, crucial for improved TPV efficiency. The near-omnidirectional and spectrally selective emitter is obtained as the emission changes due to material properties and not due to resonances or interference effects, marking a paradigm shift in thermal engineering approaches. We experimentally demonstrate the OTT in a thermally stable metamaterial at high temperatures of 1,000 °C. PMID:27263653

Evaluation of space environmental effects on metals and optical thin films on EOIM-3

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Vaughn, Jason A.; Linton, Roger C.; Finckenor, Miria M.; Kamenetzky, Rachel R.

1995-01-01

Metals and optical thin films exposed to the space environment on the Third Flight of the Evaluation of Oxygen Interactions with Materials (EOIM-3) payload, onboard Space Shuttle mission STS-46 were evaluated. The materials effects described in this paper include the effects of space exposure on various pure metals, optical thin films, and optical thin film metals. The changes induced by exposure to the space environment in the material properties were evaluated using bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF), specular reflectance (250 nm to 2500 nm), ESCA, VUV reflectance (120 nm to 200 nm), ellipsometry, FTIR and optical properties. Using these analysis techniques gold optically thin film metal mirrors with nickel undercoats were observed to darken due to nickel diffusion through the gold to the surface. Also, thin film nickel mirrors formed nickel oxide due to exposure to both the atmosphere and space.

Plasmonic giant quantum dots: hybrid nanostructures for truly simultaneous optical imaging, photothermal effect and thermometry† †Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available: Further information on Au shelling chemistry and imaging of the Au shell by electron microscopy. Figures and Movie. See DOI: 10.1039/c5sc00020c

PubMed Central

Karan, Niladri S.; Keller, Aaron M.; Sampat, Siddharth; Roslyak, Oleksiy; Arefin, Ayesha; Hanson, Christina J.; Casson, Joanna L.; Desireddy, Anil; Ghosh, Yagnaseni; Piryatinski, Andrei; Iyer, Rashi; Htoon, Han; Malko, Anton V.

2015-01-01

Hybrid semiconductor–metal nanoscale constructs are of both fundamental and practical interest. Semiconductor nanocrystals are active emitters of photons when stimulated optically, while the interaction of light with nanosized metal objects results in scattering and ohmic damping due to absorption. In a combined structure, the properties of both components can be realized together. At the same time, metal–semiconductor coupling may intervene to modify absorption and/or emission processes taking place in the semiconductor, resulting in a range of effects from photoluminescence quenching to enhancement. We show here that photostable ‘giant’ quantum dots when placed at the center of an ultrathin gold shell retain their key optical property of bright and blinking-free photoluminescence, while the metal shell imparts efficient photothermal transduction. The latter is despite the highly compact total particle size (40–60 nm “inorganic” diameter and <100 nm hydrodynamic diameter) and the very thin nature of the optically transparent Au shell. Importantly, the sensitivity of the quantum dot emission to local temperature provides a novel internal thermometer for recording temperature during infrared irradiation-induced photothermal heating. PMID:29163879

On the Nature and Extent of Optically Thin Marine low Clouds

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Leahy, L. V.; Wood, R.; Charlson, R. J.; Hostetler, C. A.; Rogers, R. R.; Vaughan, M. A.; Winker, D. M.

2012-01-01

Macrophysical properties of optically thin marine low clouds over the nonpolar oceans (60 deg S-60 deg N) are measured using 2 years of full-resolution nighttime data from the Cloud-Aerosol Lidar with Orthogonal Polarization (CALIOP). Optically thin clouds, defined as the subset of marine low clouds that do not fully attenuate the lidar signal, comprise almost half of the low clouds over the marine domain. Regionally, the fraction of low clouds that are optically thin (f(sub thin,cld)) exhibits a strong inverse relationship with the low-cloud cover, with maxima in the tropical trades (f(sub thin,cld) greater than 0.8) and minima in regions of persistent marine stratocumulus and in midlatitudes (f(sub thin,cld) less than 0.3). Domain-wide, a power law fit describes the cloud length distribution, with exponent beta = 2.03 +/- 0.06 (+/-95% confidence interval). On average, the fraction of a cloud that is optically thin decreases from approximately 1 for clouds smaller than 2 km to less than 0.3 for clouds larger than 30 km. This relationship is found to be independent of region, so that geographical variations in the cloud length distribution explain three quarters of the variance in f(sub thin,cld). Comparing collocated trade cumulus observations from CALIOP and the airborne High Spectral Resolution Lidar reveals that clouds with lengths smaller than are resolvable with CALIOP contribute approximately half of the low clouds in the region sampled. A bounded cascade model is constructed to match the observations from the trades. The model shows that the observed optically thin cloud behavior is consistent with a power law scaling of cloud optical depth and suggests that most optically thin clouds only partially fill the CALIOP footprint.

Studies of surface morphology and optical properties of ZnO nanostructures grown on different molarities of TiO{sub 2} seed layer

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Asib, N. A. M., E-mail: amierahasib@yahoo.com; Afaah, A. N.; Aadila, A.

Titanium dioxide (TiO{sub 2}) seed layer was prepared by using sol-gel spin-coating technique, followed by growth of 0.01 M of Zinc oxide (ZnO) nanostructures by solution-immersion. The molarities of TiO{sub 2} seed layer were varied from 1.1 M to 0.100 M on glass substrates. The nanostructures thin films were characterized by Field Emission Scanning Electrons Microscope (FESEM), Photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy and Ultraviolet-Visible (UV-Vis) spectroscopy. FESEM images demonstrate that needle-like ZnO nanostructures are formed on all TiO{sub 2} seed layer. The smallest diameter of needle-like ZnO nanostructures (90.3 nm) were deposited on TiO{sub 2} seed layer of 0.100 M. PL spectramore » of the TiO{sub 2}: ZnO nanostructures thin films show the blue shifted emissions in the UV regions compared to the ZnO thin film. Meanwhile, UV-vis spectra of films display high absorption in the UV region and high trasparency in the visible region. The highest absorbance at UV region was recorded for sample which has 0.100 M of TiO{sub 2} seed layer.« less

Properties of transparent conducting tin monoxide(SnO) thin films prepared by chemical spray pyrolysis method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eqbal, Ebitha; Anila, E. I.

2018-01-01

Transparent conducting Stannous Oxide (SnO) thin films were obtained by chemical spray pyrolysis method on glass substrates for 0.1 M and 0.25 M concentration of precursor solutions. Their structural, morphological, optical and electrical properties were investigated. X-ray diffraction (XRD) study shows polycrystalline nature of the films with orthorhombic crystal structure. The morphological analysis was carried out by Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and elemental analysis was done by Energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX). The band gap of 0.1 M and 0.25 M thin film samples were found to be 3.58eV with 82% transmission and 3 eV with 30% transmission respectively. The film thickness, refractive index (n) and extinction coefficient (k) of the films were obtained by ellipsometric technique. Hall effect measurements reveal p-type conduction with mobility 7.8 cm2V-1s-1 and 15 cm2V-1s-1 and conductivity of 8.5 S/cm and 17.1 S/cm respectively for the 0.1 M and 0.25 M samples. Photoluminescence (PL) spectrum of the samples show a broad emission which covers near band edge (NBE) as well as deep level emission (DLE) in the region 380 nm-620 nm.

Low-aberration beamline optics for synchrotron infrared nanospectroscopy.

PubMed

Freitas, Raul O; Deneke, Christoph; Maia, Francisco C B; Medeiros, Helton G; Moreno, Thierry; Dumas, Paul; Petroff, Yves; Westfahl, Harry

2018-04-30

Synchrotron infrared nanospectroscopy is a recently developed technique that enables new possibilities in the broadband chemical analysis of materials in the nanoscale, far beyond the diffraction limit in this frequency domain. Synchrotron infrared ports have exploited mainly the high brightness advantage provided by electron storage rings across the whole infrared range. However, optical aberrations in the beam produced by the source depth of bending magnet emission at large angles prevent infrared nanospectroscopy to reach its maximum capability. In this work we present a low-aberration optical layout specially designed and constructed for a dedicated synchrotron infrared nanospectroscopy beamline. We report excellent agreement between simulated beam profiles (from standard wave propagation and raytracing optics simulations) with experimental measurements. We report an important improvement in the infrared nanospectroscopy experiment related to the improved beamline optics. Finally, we demonstrate the performance of the nanospectroscopy endstation by measuring a hyperspectral image of a polar material and we evaluate the setup sensitivity by measuring ultra-thin polymer films down to 6 nm thick.

Determination of the optical absorption spectra of thin layers from their photoacoustic spectra

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bychto, Leszek; Maliński, Mirosław; Patryn, Aleksy; Tivanov, Mikhail; Gremenok, Valery

2018-05-01

This paper presents a new method for computations of the optical absorption coefficient spectra from the normalized photoacoustic amplitude spectra of thin semiconductor samples deposited on the optically transparent and thermally thick substrates. This method was tested on CuIn(Te0.7Se0.3)2 thin films. From the normalized photoacoustic amplitude spectra, the optical absorption coefficient spectra were computed with the new formula as also with the numerical iterative method. From these spectra, the value of the energy gap of the thin film material and the type of the optical transitions were determined. From the experimental optical transmission spectra, the optical absorption coefficient spectra were computed too, and compared with the optical absorption coefficient spectra obtained from photoacoustic spectra.

Numerical study on electronic and optical properties of organic light emitting diodes.

PubMed

Kim, Kwangsik; Hwang, Youngwook; Won, Taeyoung

2013-08-01

In this paper, we present a finite element method (FEM) study of space charge effects in organic light emitting diodes. Our model includes a Gaussian density of states to account for the energetic disorder in organic semiconductors and the Fermi-Dirac statistics to account for the charge hopping process between uncorrelated sites. The physical model cover all the key physical processes in OLEDs, namely charge injection, transport and recombination, exciton diffusion, transfer and decay as well as light coupling, and thin-film-optics. The exciton model includes generation, diffusion, and energy transfer as well as annihilation. We assumed that the light emission originates from oscillating and thus embodied as excitons and embedded in a stack of multilayer. The out-coupled emission spectrum has been numerically calculated as a function of viewing angle, polarization, and dipole orientation. We discuss the accumulation of charges at internal interfaces and their signature in the transient response as well as the electric field distribution.

CMOS direct time interval measurement of long-lived luminescence lifetimes.

PubMed

Yao, Lei; Yung, Ka Yi; Cheung, Maurice C; Chodavarapu, Vamsy P; Bright, Frank V

2011-01-01

We describe a Complementary Metal-Oxide Semiconductor (CMOS) Direct Time Interval Measurement (DTIM) Integrated Circuit (IC) to detect the decay (fall) time of the luminescence emission when analyte-sensitive luminophores are excited with an optical pulse. The CMOS DTIM IC includes 14 × 14 phototransistor array, transimpedance amplifier, regulated gain amplifier, fall time detector, and time-to-digital convertor. We examined the DTIM system to measure the emission lifetime of oxygen-sensitive luminophores tris(4,7-diphenyl-1, 10-phenanthroline) ruthenium(II) ([Ru(dpp)(3)](2+)) encapsulated in sol-gel derived xerogel thin-films. The DTIM system fabricated using TSMC 0.35 μm process functions to detect lifetimes from 4 μs to 14.4 μs but can be tuned to detect longer lifetimes. The system provides 8-bit digital output proportional to lifetimes and consumes 4.5 mW of power with 3.3 V DC supply. The CMOS system provides a useful platform for the development of reliable, robust, and miniaturized optical chemical sensors.

Optical properties of single infrared resonant circular microcavities for surface phonon polaritons.

PubMed

Wang, Tao; Li, Peining; Hauer, Benedikt; Chigrin, Dmitry N; Taubner, Thomas

2013-11-13

Plasmonic antennas are crucial components for nano-optics and have been extensively used to enhance sensing, spectroscopy, light emission, photodetection, and others. Recently, there is a trend to search for new plasmonic materials with low intrinsic loss at new plasmon frequencies. As an alternative to metals, polar crystals have a negative real part of permittivity in the Reststrahlen band and support surface phonon polaritons (SPhPs) with weak damping. Here, we experimentally demonstrate the resonance of single circular microcavities in a thin gold film deposited on a silicon carbide (SiC) substrate in the mid-infrared range. Specifically, the negative permittivity of SiC leads to a well-defined, size-tunable SPhP resonance with a Q factor of around 60 which is much higher than those in surface plasmon polariton (SPP) resonators with similar structures. These infrared resonant microcavities provide new possibilities for widespread applications such as enhanced spectroscopy, sensing, coherent thermal emission, and infrared photodetectors among others throughout the infrared frequency range.

Pulsed laser deposited hexagonal wurzite ZnO thin-film nanostructures/nanotextures for nanophotonics applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

John Chelliah, Cyril Robinson Azariah; Swaminathan, Rajesh

2018-01-01

The high-quality and transparent thin-film zinc oxide (ZnO) nanostructures/nanotextures deposited on glass and silicon substrates using pulsed laser deposition (PLD) technique are reported. A solid-state, Nd-YAG laser was used for the PLD process. The films were deposited (i) at room temperature of 25°C (as deposited), (ii) at 150°C, (iii) at 300°C, (iv) at 450°C, and (v) at 600°C and annealed in the vacuum chamber. The depositions were also carried out at different laser repetition rates such as 10 and 5 Hz. UV spectroscopy and photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy were carried out for optical studies. X-ray diffraction studies were carried out for all samples and analyzed the effects of the laser repetition rate, deposition, and annealing temperatures on the structural properties. Field-emission scanning electron microscope images are recorded for the best-structured samples. The electrical parameters were calibrated using the Hall effect measurement system and the IV characterization was performed using a CHI Electrochemical workstation. The deposition temperature has a significant effect on the microstrain and dislocation density of the ZnO thin film and optical phenomena with various electrical parameters, including the electron mobility, conductivity, and magnetoresistance. These promising results are suitable conditions for nanophotonics applications.

QUANTIFYING THE INTERSTELLAR MEDIUM AND COSMIC RAYS IN THE MBM 53, 54, AND 55 MOLECULAR CLOUDS AND THE PEGASUS LOOP USING FERMI -LAT GAMMA-RAY OBSERVATIONS

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mizuno, T.; Abdollahi, S.; Fukui, Y.

A study of the interstellar medium (ISM) and cosmic rays (CRs) using Fermi Large Area Telescope (LAT) data, in a region encompassing the nearby molecular clouds MBM 53, 54, and 55 and a farinfrared loop-like structure in Pegasus, is reported. By comparing Planck dust thermal emission model with Fermi -LAT γ-ray data, it was found that neither the dust radiance (R) nor the dust opacity at 353 GHz (τ353) were proportional to the total gas column density N(Htot) primarily because N(Htot)/R and N(Htot)/τ353 depend on the dust temperature (Td). The N(Htot) distribution was evaluated using γ-ray data by assuming themore » regions of high Td to be dominated by optically thin atomic hydrogen (HI) and by employing an empirical linear relation of N(Htot)/R to Td. It was determined that the mass of the gas not traced by the 21-cm or 2.6-mm surveys is ~25% of the mass of HI in the optically thin case and is larger than the mass of the molecular gas traced by carbon monoxide by a factor of up to 5. The measured γ-ray emissivity spectrum is consistent with a model based on CR spectra measured at the Earth and the nuclear enhancement factor of ≤1.5. It is, however, lower than local HI emissivities reported by previous Fermi -LAT studies employing different analysis methods and assumptions on ISM properties by 15%–20% in energies below a few GeV, even if we take account of the statistical and systematic uncertainties. The origin of the discrepancy is also discussed.« less

QUANTIFYING THE INTERSTELLAR MEDIUM AND COSMIC RAYS IN THE MBM 53, 54, AND 55 MOLECULAR CLOUDS AND THE PEGASUS LOOP USING FERMI -LAT GAMMA-RAY OBSERVATIONS

DOE PAGES

Mizuno, T.; Abdollahi, S.; Fukui, Y.; ...

2016-12-20

A study of the interstellar medium (ISM) and cosmic rays (CRs) using Fermi Large Area Telescope (LAT) data, in a region encompassing the nearby molecular clouds MBM 53, 54, and 55 and a farinfrared loop-like structure in Pegasus, is reported. By comparing Planck dust thermal emission model with Fermi -LAT γ-ray data, it was found that neither the dust radiance (R) nor the dust opacity at 353 GHz (τ353) were proportional to the total gas column density N(Htot) primarily because N(Htot)/R and N(Htot)/τ353 depend on the dust temperature (Td). The N(Htot) distribution was evaluated using γ-ray data by assuming themore » regions of high Td to be dominated by optically thin atomic hydrogen (HI) and by employing an empirical linear relation of N(Htot)/R to Td. It was determined that the mass of the gas not traced by the 21-cm or 2.6-mm surveys is ~25% of the mass of HI in the optically thin case and is larger than the mass of the molecular gas traced by carbon monoxide by a factor of up to 5. The measured γ-ray emissivity spectrum is consistent with a model based on CR spectra measured at the Earth and the nuclear enhancement factor of ≤1.5. It is, however, lower than local HI emissivities reported by previous Fermi -LAT studies employing different analysis methods and assumptions on ISM properties by 15%–20% in energies below a few GeV, even if we take account of the statistical and systematic uncertainties. The origin of the discrepancy is also discussed.« less

Gaseous Electronics Conference (35th) Held at Dallas, Texas, 19-22 October 1982.

DTIC Science & Technology

1982-12-31

Hz LTE arcs con- taining mrury and metal halide additives such as Nal and Sc13 . , Using a well defined cylindrical arc vessel and a known mercury ...termination of the high pressure mercury arc will be presented. 1 F.E. Irons, J.Quant.Spect.Radiat.Transfer 22,1,(1979). 41IBLANK I- CA-3 Time Dependent...High pressure mercury lamps were. operated on a perioically pulsed supply voltage. From optically thin mercury line emission the variation of the axial

A scanning microcavity for in situ control of single-molecule emission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Toninelli, C.; Delley, Y.; Stöferle, T.; Renn, A.; Götzinger, S.; Sandoghdar, V.

2010-07-01

We report on the fabrication and characterization of a scannable Fabry-Perot microcavity, consisting of a curved micromirror at the end of an optical fiber and a planar distributed Bragg reflector. Furthermore, we demonstrate the coupling of single organic molecules embedded in a thin film to well-defined resonator modes. We discuss the choice of cavity parameters that will allow sufficiently high Purcell factors for enhancing the zero-phonon transition between the vibrational ground levels of the electronic excited and ground states.

Therapeutic Applications Of Argon Laser

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brunetaud, J. M.; Mosquet, L.; Mordon, S.; Rotteleur, G.

1984-03-01

Argon laser has a C.W. emission and emits several lines between 487 and 544 nm. This radiation is well absorbed by living tissue and especially where there are red pigments (hemoglobin, myoglobin) or black pigments (melanine). Therapeutic applications mainly use thermal effects. By varying the parameters, (optic power, size of exposed area, exposure time) ; one can obtain a coagulation (maximal tissular temperature 60° - 80°) or a vaporization (temperature over 100°). Section occures when the vaporized area is very thin (below 0.5 mm).

Ionic Self-Assembled Monolayer (ISAM) Nonlinear Optical Thin Films and Devices

DTIC Science & Technology

1998-05-12

SUBTITLE " Ionic Self-Assembled Monolayer (ISAM) Nonlinear Optical Thin Films and Devices" 6. AUTHORS Michael B. Miller 5. FUNDING NUMBERS F49620-97...ii. Lü. Ionic Self-Assembled Monolayer (ISAM) Nonlinear Optical Thin Films and Devices Final Technical Report Performance Period: 15 August 1997...Investigator F&S. Inc.N ̂ 1. INTRODUCTION .’ 2 2. PROGRAM TASK REVIEW 2 3. BACKGROUND 4 3.1 NONLINEAR OPTICAL THIN FILMS 4 3.2 IONIC SELF

CONTRACTION SIGNATURES TOWARD DENSE CORES IN THE PERSEUS MOLECULAR CLOUD

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Campbell, J. L.; Friesen, R. K.; Martin, P. G.

We report the results of an HCO{sup +} (3–2) and N{sub 2}D{sup +} (3–2) molecular line survey performed toward 91 dense cores in the Perseus molecular cloud using the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope, to identify the fraction of starless and protostellar cores with systematic radial motions. We quantify the HCO{sup +} asymmetry using a dimensionless asymmetry parameter δ{sub v}, and identify 20 cores with significant blue or red line asymmetries in optically thick emission indicative of collapsing or expanding motions, respectively. We separately fit the HCO{sup +} profiles with an analytic collapse model and determine contraction (expansion) speeds toward 22more » cores. Comparing the δ{sub v} and collapse model results, we find that δ{sub v} is a good tracer of core contraction if the optically thin emission is aligned with the model-derived systemic velocity. The contraction speeds range from subsonic (0.03 km s{sup −1}) to supersonic (0.4 km s{sup −1}), where the supersonic contraction speeds may trace global rather than local core contraction. Most cores have contraction speeds significantly less than their free-fall speeds. Only 7 of 28 starless cores have spectra well-fit by the collapse model, which more than doubles (15 of 28) for protostellar cores. Starless cores with masses greater than the Jeans mass (M/M{sub J} > 1) are somewhat more likely to show contraction motions. We find no trend of optically thin non-thermal line width with M/M{sub J}, suggesting that any undetected contraction motions are small and subsonic. Most starless cores in Perseus are either not in a state of collapse or expansion, or are in a very early stage of collapse.« less

Evaluation of optical and electronic properties of silicon nano-agglomerates embedded in SRO: applying density functional theory

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

In systems in atomic scale and nanoscale such as clusters or agglomerates constituted by particles from a few to less than 100 atoms, quantum confinement effects are very important. Their optical and electronic properties are often dependent on the size of the systems and the way in which the atoms in these clusters are bonded. Generally, these nanostructures display optical and electronic properties significantly different to those found in corresponding bulk materials. Silicon agglomerates embedded in silicon rich oxide (SRO) films have optical properties, which have been reported to be directly dependent on silicon nanocrystal size. Furthermore, the room temperature photoluminescence (PL) of SRO has repeatedly generated a huge interest due to its possible applications in optoelectronic devices. However, a plausible emission mechanism has not been widely accepted in the scientific community. In this work, we present a short review about the experimental results on silicon nanoclusters in SRO considering different techniques of growth. We focus mainly on their size, Raman spectra, and photoluminescence spectra. With this as background, we employed the density functional theory with a functional B3LYP and a basis set 6-31G* to calculate the optical and electronic properties of clusters of silicon (constituted by 15 to 20 silicon atoms). With the theoretical calculation of the structural and optical properties of silicon clusters, it is possible to evaluate the contribution of silicon agglomerates in the luminescent emission mechanism, experimentally found in thin SRO films. PMID:25276105

Global Measurements of Optically Thin Cirrus Clouds Using CALIOP

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ryan, R. A.; Avery, M. A.; Vaughan, M.

2017-12-01

Optically thin cirrus clouds, defined here as cold clouds consisting of randomly oriented ice crystals and having optical depths (τ) less than 0.3, are difficult to measure accurately. Thin cirrus clouds have been shown to have a net warming effect on the globe but, because passive instruments are not sensitive to optically thin clouds, the occurrence frequency of thin cirrus is greatly underestimated in historical passive sensor cloud climatology. One major strength of Cloud-Aerosol Lidar with Orthogonal Polarization (CALIOP) is its ability to detect these thin cirrus clouds, thus filling an important missing piece in the historical data record. This poster examines multiple years of CALIOP Level 2 data, focusing on those CALIOP retrievals identified as being optically thin (τ < 0.3), having a cold centroid temperature (TC < -40°C), and consisting solely of randomly oriented ice crystals. Using this definition, thin cirrus are identified and counted globally within each season. By examining the spatial, and seasonal distributions of these thin clouds we hope to gain a better understanding of how thin cirrus affect the atmosphere. Understanding when and where these clouds form and persist in the global atmosphere is the topic and focus of the presented poster.

A Non-thermal Pulsed X-Ray Emission of AR Scorpii

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Takata, J.; Hu, C.-P.; Lin, L. C. C.; Tam, P. H. T.; Pal, P. S.; Hui, C. Y.; Kong, A. K. H.; Cheng, K. S.

2018-02-01

We report the analysis result of UV/X-ray emission from AR Scorpii, which is an intermediate polar (IP) composed of a magnetic white dwarf and an M-type star, with the XMM-Newton data. The X-ray/UV emission clearly shows a large variation over the orbit, and their intensity maximum (or minimum) is located at the superior conjunction (or inferior conjunction) of the M star orbit. The hardness ratio of the X-ray emission shows a small variation over the orbital phase and shows no indication of the absorption by an accretion column. These properties are naturally explained by the emission from the M star surface rather than that from the accretion column on the white dwarf’s (WD) star, which is similar to usual IPs. Additionally, the observed X-ray emission also modulates with the WD’s spin with a pulse fraction of ∼14%. The peak position is aligned in the optical/UV/X-ray band. This supports the hypothesis that the electrons in AR Scorpii are accelerated to a relativistic speed and emit non-thermal photons via the synchrotron radiation. In the X-ray bands, evidence of the power-law spectrum is found in the pulsed component, although the observed emission is dominated by the optically thin thermal plasma emissions with several different temperatures. It is considered that the magnetic dissipation/reconnection process on the M star surface heats up the plasma to a temperature of several keV and also accelerates the electrons to the relativistic speed. The relativistic electrons are trapped in the WD’s closed magnetic field lines by the magnetic mirror effect. In this model, the observed pulsed component is explained by the emissions from the first magnetic mirror point.

PLANET SHADOWS IN PROTOPLANETARY DISKS. II. OBSERVABLE SIGNATURES

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Jang-Condell, Hannah

2009-07-20

We calculate simulated images of disks perturbed by embedded small planets. These 10-50 M{sub +} bodies represent the growing cores of giant planets. We examine scattered light and thermal emission from these disks over a range of wavelengths, taking into account the wavelength-dependent opacity of dust in the disk. We also examine the effect of inclination on the observed perturbations. We find that the perturbations are best observed in the visible to mid-infrared (mid-IR). Scattered light images reflect shadows produced at the surface of perturbed disks, while the infrared images follow thermal emission from the surface of the disk, showingmore » cooled/heated material in the shadowed/brightened regions. At still longer wavelengths in the submillimeter, the perturbation fades as the disk becomes optically thin and surface features become overwhelmed by emission closer toward the midplane of the disk. With the construction of telescopes such as TMT, GMT, and ALMA due in the next decade, there is a real possibility of observing planets forming in disks in the optical and submillimeter. However, having the angular resolution to observe the features in the mid-IR will remain a challenge.« less

Room temperature photoluminescence properties of ZnO nanorods grown by hydrothermal reaction

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Iwan, S., E-mail: iwan-sugihartono@unj.ac.id; Prodi Ilmu Material, Departemen Fisika, FMIPA, Universitas Indonesia, Kampus UI Depok; Fauzia, Vivi

Zinc oxide (ZnO) nanorods were fabricated by a hydrothermal reaction on silicon (Si) substrate at 95 °C for 6 hours. The ZnO seed layer was fabricated by depositing ZnO thin films on Si substrates by ultrasonic spray pyrolisis (USP). The annealing effects on crystal structure and optical properties of ZnO nanorods were investigated. The post-annealing treatment was performed at 800 °C with different environments. The annealed of ZnO nanorods were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and photoluminescence (PL) in order to analyze crystal structure and optical properties, respectively. The results show the orientations of [002], [101], [102], and [103] diffractionmore » peaks were observed and hexagonal wurtzite structure of ZnO nanorods were vertically grown on Si substrates. The room temperature PL spectra show ultra-violet (UV) and visible emissions. The annealed of ZnO nanorods in vacuum condition (3.8 × 10{sup −3} Torr) has dominant UV emission. Meanwhile, non-annealed of ZnO nanorods has dominant visible emission. It was expected that the annealed of ZnO in vacuum condition suppresses the existence of native defects in ZnO nanorods.« less

Electrochemical synthesis of nanostructured Se-doped SnS: Effect of Se-dopant on surface characterizations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kafashan, Hosein; Azizieh, Mahdi; Balak, Zohre

2017-07-01

SnS1-xSex nanostructures with different Se-dopant concentrations were deposited on fluorine doped tin oxide (FTO) substrate through cathodic electrodeposition technique. The pH, temperature, applied potential (E), and deposition time remained were 2.1, 60 °C, -1 V, and 30 min, respectively. SnS1-xSex nanostructures were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microcopy (FESEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), room temperature photoluminescence (PL), and UV-vis spectroscopy. The XRD patterns revealed that the SnS1-xSex nanostructures were polycrystalline with orthorhombic structure. FESEM showed various kinds of morphologies in SnS1-xSex nanostructures due to Se-doping. PL and UV-vis spectroscopy were used to evaluate the optical properties of SnS1-xSex thin films. The PL spectra of SnS1-xSex nanostructures displayed four emission peaks, those are a blue, a green, an orange, and a red emission. UV-vis spectra showed that the optical band gap energy (Eg) of SnS1-xSex nanostructures varied between 1.22-1.65 eV, due to Se-doping.

THE BORN-AGAIN PLANETARY NEBULA A78: AN X-RAY TWIN OF A30

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Toalá, J. A.; Guerrero, M. A.; Marquez-Lugo, R. A.

We present the XMM-Newton discovery of X-ray emission from the planetary nebula (PN) A78, the second born-again PN detected in X-rays apart from A30. These two PNe share similar spectral and morphological characteristics: they harbor diffuse soft X-ray emission associated with the interaction between the H-poor ejecta and the current fast stellar wind and a point-like source at the position of the central star (CSPN). We present the spectral analysis of the CSPN, using for the first time an NLTE code for expanding atmospheres that takes line blanketing into account for the UV and optical spectra. The wind abundances aremore » used for the X-ray spectral analysis of the CSPN and the diffuse emission. The X-ray emission from the CSPN in A78 can be modeled by a single C VI emission line, while the X-ray emission from its diffuse component is better described by an optically thin plasma emission model with a temperature of kT = 0.088 keV (T ≈ 1.0 × 10{sup 6} K). We estimate X-ray luminosities in the 0.2-2.0 keV energy band of L {sub X,} {sub CSPN} = (1.2 ± 0.3) × 10{sup 31} erg s{sup –1} and L {sub X,} {sub DIFF} = (9.2 ± 2.3) × 10{sup 30} erg s{sup –1} for the CSPN and diffuse components, respectively.« less

Optical characterizations of silver nanoprisms embedded in polymer thin film layers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carlberg, Miriam; Pourcin, Florent; Margeat, Olivier; Le Rouzo, Judikael; Berginc, Gerard; Sauvage, Rose-Marie; Ackermann, Jorg; Escoubas, Ludovic

2017-10-01

The precise control of light-matter interaction has a wide range of applications and is currently driven by the use of nanoparticles (NPs) by the recent advances in nanotechnology. Taking advantage of the material, size, shape, and surrounding media dependence of the optical properties of plasmonic NPs, thin film layers with tunable optical properties are achieved. The NPs are synthesized by wet chemistry and embedded in a polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) polymer thin film layer. Spectrophotometer and spectroscopic ellipsometry measurements are coupled to finite-difference time domain numerical modeling to optically characterize the heterogeneous thin film layers. Silver nanoprisms of 10 to 50 nm edge size exhibit high absorption through the visible wavelength range. A simple optical model composed of a Cauchy law and a Lorentz law, accounting for the optical properties of the nonabsorbing polymer and the absorbing property of the nanoprisms, fits the spectroscopic ellipsometry measurements. Knowing the complex optical indices of heterogeneous thin film layers let us design layers of any optical properties.

Characteristics of Single Cathode Cascaded Bias Voltage Arc Plasma

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ou, Wei; Deng, Baiquan; Zeng, Xianjun; Gou, Fujun; Xue, Xiaoyan; Zhang, Weiwei; Cao, Xiaogang; Yang, Dangxiao; Cao, Zhi

2016-06-01

A single cathode with a cascaded bias voltage arc plasma source has been developed with a new quartz cathode chamber, instead of the previous copper chambers, to provide better diagnostic observation and access to the plasma optical emission. The cathode chamber cooling scheme is also modified to be naturally cooled only by light emission without cooling water to improve the optical thin performance in the optical path. A single-parameter physical model has been developed to describe the power dissipated in the cascaded bias voltage arc discharge argon plasmas, which have been investigated by utilizing optical emission spectroscopy (OES) and Langmuir probe. In the experiments, discharge currents from 50 A to 100 A, argon flow rates from 800 sccm to 2000 sccm and magnetic fields of 0.1 T and 0.2 T were chosen. The results show: (a) the relationship between the averaged resistivity and the averaged current density exhibits an empirical scaling law as \\barη \\propto \\bar {j}-0.63369 and the power dissipated in the arc has a strong relation with the filling factor; (b) through the quartz, the argon ions optical emission lines have been easily observed and are dominating with wavelengths between 340 nm and 520 nm, which are the emissions of Ar+-434.81 nm and Ar+-442.60 nm line, and the intensities are increasing with the arc current and decreasing with the inlet argon flow rate; and (c) the electron density and temperature can reach 2.0 × 1019 m-3 and 0.48 eV, respectively, under the conditions of an arc current of 90 A and a magnetic field of 0.2 T. The half-width of the ne radial profile is approximatively equal to a few Larmor radii of electrons and can be regarded as the diameter of the plasma jet in the experiments. supported by the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) Program Special of Ministry of Science and Technology (No. 2013GB114003), and National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos. 11275135, 11475122)

Permanent laser conditioning of thin film optical materials

DOEpatents

Wolfe, C. Robert; Kozlowski, Mark R.; Campbell, John H.; Staggs, Michael; Rainer, Frank

1995-01-01

The invention comprises a method for producing optical thin films with a high laser damage threshold and the resulting thin films. The laser damage threshold of the thin films is permanently increased by irradiating the thin films with a fluence below an unconditioned laser damage threshold.

Structure and photoluminescence properties of TeO2-core/TiO2-shell nanowires

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Park, Sunghoon; An, Soyeon; Lee, Chongmu

2013-12-01

TeO2-core/TiO2-shell nanowires were fabricated by thermal evaporation of Te powders and MOCVD of TiO2. The as-synthesized TeO2 nanowires showed a weak broad violet band centered at approximately 430 nm. The emission peak was shifted to a bluish violet region (∼455 nm) by the encapsulation of the nanowires with a TiO2 thin film. The intensity of the major emission from the core-shell nanowires showed strong dependence on the shell layer thickness. The strongest emission was obtained for the shell layer thickness of ∼15 nm and its intensity was approximately 80 times higher than that of the violet emission from the as-synthesized TeO2 nanowires. This enhancement in emission intensity is attributed to the subwavelength optical resonant cavity formation in the shell layer. The major emission intensity was enhanced further and blue-shifted by annealing, which might be attributed to the increase in the Ti interstitial and O vacancy concentrations in the TeO2 cores during annealing.

Electro-optic studies of novel organic materials and devices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Jianjun

1997-11-01

Specific single crystal organic materials have high potential for use in high speed optical signal processing and various other electro-optic applications. In this project some of the most important organic crystal materials were studied regarding their detailed electro- optic properties and potential device applications. In particular, the electro-optic properties of N-(4- Nitrophenyl)-L-Prolinol (NPP) and 4'-N,N- dimethylamino-4-methylstilbazolium tosylate (DAST) both of which have extremely large second order susceptibilites were studied. The orientation of the thin film crystal with respect to the substrate surface was determined using-X-ray diffraction. The principal axes of the single crystal thin film were determined by polarization transmission microscopy. The elements of the electro-optic coefficient tensor were measured by field induced birefringence measurements. Detailed measurements for NPP thin films with different orientations of the external electric field with respect to the charge transfer axis were carried out at a wavelength of 1064nm. The wavelength dependence of the electro-optic effect for DAST single crystal thin films was measured using a Ti:Sapphire laser. Several device geometries involving organic single crystal thin film materials were studied. A new method for the fabrication of channel waveguides for organic materials was initiated. Channel waveguides for NPP and ABP were obtained using this methods. Optical modulation due to the electro-optic effect based on the organic channel waveguide for NPP single crystal was demonstrated. The electro-optic modulation using NPP single crystals thin film in a Fabry-Perot cavity was measured. A device using a optical fiber half coupler and organic electro-optic thin film material was constructed, and it has potential applications in optical signal processing.

Highly transparent and lower resistivity of yttrium doped ZnO thin films grown on quartz glass by sol-gel method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kaur, Narinder; Sharma, Sanjeev K.; Kim, Deuk Young; Singh, Narinder

2016-11-01

We prepared highly transparent yttrium-doped ZnO (YZO) thin films on quartz glass by a sol-gel method, and then annealed them at 600 °C in vacuum. All samples showed hexagonal wurtzite structure with a preferential orientation along the (002) direction. We observed the average grain size of Y: 2 at% thin film to be in the range of 15-20 nm. We observed blue shift in the optical bandgap (3.29 eV→3.32 eV) by increasing the Y concentration (0-2 at%), due to increasing the number of electrons, and replacing the di-valent (Zn2+) with tri-valent (Y3+) dopants. Replacing the higher ionic radii (Y3+) with smaller ionic radii (Zn2+) expanded the local volume of the lattice, which reduced the lattice defects, and increased the intensity ratio of NBE/DLE emission (INBE/IDLE). We also observed the lowest (172 meV) Urbach energy of Y: 2 at% thin film, and confirmed the high structural quality. Incorporation of the appropriate Y concentration (2 at%) improved the crystallinity of YZO thin films, which led to less carrier scattering and lower resistivity.

Self assembled sulfur induced interconnected nanostructure TiO2 electrode for visible light photoresponse and photocatalytic application

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anitha, B.; Ravidhas, C.; Venkatesh, R.; Raj, A. Moses Ezhil; Ravichandran, K.; Subramanian, B.; Sanjeeviraja, C.

2017-07-01

Pristine TiO2 and sulfur doped TiO2 (S-TiO2) thin films were coated over the glass substrates by varying the concentration of sulfur source (thiourea - 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10 at%) using a cost-effective Jet nebulizer spray technique. The deposited thin films were in anatase phase with the tetragonal structure analyzed from the XRD pattern. The chemical state of the elements was determined from XPS analysis. Pristine TiO2 and S-TiO2 thin films depict the presence of spherical particles embedded over 3-D interconnected wire-like structure from SEM analysis. Optical studies revealed reduction in band gap of S-TiO2 films on increasing the sulfur concentration (3.2-2.8 eV). The sulfur incorporation in TiO2 lattice confirmed by the fall in intensity of near band edge emission as observed from room temperature PL spectra. The charge carrier dynamics of the prepared thin films were studied by means of steady state and transient photoconduction measurements. The photocatalytic performance of pristine TiO2 and S-TiO2 thin films for the degradation of malachite green dye was investigated under visible light.

Protoplanetary Disk Properties in the Orion Nebula Cluster: Initial Results from Deep, High-resolution ALMA Observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eisner, J. A.; Arce, H. G.; Ballering, N. P.; Bally, J.; Andrews, S. M.; Boyden, R. D.; Di Francesco, J.; Fang, M.; Johnstone, D.; Kim, J. S.; Mann, R. K.; Matthews, B.; Pascucci, I.; Ricci, L.; Sheehan, P. D.; Williams, J. P.

2018-06-01

We present Atacama Large Millimeter Array 850 μm continuum observations of the Orion Nebula Cluster that provide the highest angular resolution (∼0.″1 ≈ 40 au) and deepest sensitivity (∼0.1 mJy) of the region to date. We mosaicked a field containing ∼225 optical or near-IR-identified young stars, ∼60 of which are also optically identified “proplyds.” We detect continuum emission at 850 μm toward ∼80% of the proplyd sample, and ∼50% of the larger sample of previously identified cluster members. Detected objects have fluxes of ∼0.5–80 mJy. We remove submillimeter flux due to free–free emission in some objects, leaving a sample of sources detected in dust emission. Under standard assumptions of isothermal, optically thin disks, submillimeter fluxes correspond to dust masses of ∼0.5–80 Earth masses. We measure the distribution of disk sizes, and find that disks in this region are particularly compact. Such compact disks are likely to be significantly optically thick. The distributions of submillimeter flux and inferred disk size indicate smaller, lower-flux disks than in lower-density star-forming regions of similar age. Measured disk flux is correlated weakly with stellar mass, contrary to studies in other star-forming regions that found steeper correlations. We find a correlation between disk flux and distance from the massive star θ 1 Ori C, suggesting that disk properties in this region are influenced strongly by the rich cluster environment.

Ga flux dependence of Er-doped GaN luminescent thin films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, D. S.; Steckl, A. J.

2002-02-01

Er-doped GaN thin films have been grown on (111) Si substrates with various Ga fluxes in a radio frequency plasma molecular beam epitaxy system. Visible photoluminescence (PL) and electroluminescence (EL) emission at 537/558 nm and infrared (IR) PL emission at 1.5 μm from GaN:Er films exhibited strong dependence on the Ga flux. Both visible and IR PL and visible EL increase with the Ga flux up to the stoichiometric growth condition, as determined by growth rate saturation. Beyond this condition, all luminescence levels abruptly dropped to the detection limit with increasing Ga flux. The Er concentration, measured by secondary ion mass spectroscopy and Rutherford backscattering, decreases with increasing Ga flux under N-rich growth conditions and remains constant above the stoichiometric growth condition. X-ray diffraction indicated that the crystalline quality of the GaN:Er film was improved with increasing Ga flux up to stoichiometric growth condition and then saturated. Er ions in the films grown under N-rich conditions appear much more optically active than those in the films grown under Ga-rich conditions.

Improvement of amplified spontaneous emission performance by doping tris(8-hydroxyquinoline) aluminum (Alq3) in dye-doped polymer thin films.

PubMed

Lu, Wu; You, Han; Fang, Junfeng; Ma, Dongge

2007-04-20

A well-known red fluorescent dye 4-(dicy-anomethylene)-2-t-butyl-6(1,1,7,7-tetramethyljulolidyl-9-enyl)-4H-pyran (DCJTB) was codoped with an electron transport organic molecule tris(8-hydroxyquinoline) aluminum (Alq(3)) in a host matrix of polystyrene (PS), and the amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) was studied by optically pumping. It was found that the ASE performance was significantly improved by the introduction of Alq(3). The Alq(3):DCJTB:PS blending thin films showed a low threshold (2.4 microJ/pulse) and a high net gain coefficient (109.95 cm(-1)) compared with the pure DCJTB:PS system (threshold of 15.2 microJ/pulse and gain of 35.94 cm(-1)). The improvement of the ASE performance was considered to be attributable to the effective Föster energy transfer from Alq(3) to DCJTB. Our results demonstrate that the Alq(3):DCJTB could be a promising candidate as gain medium for red organic diode lasers.

Testing SgrA{sup *} with the spectrum of its accretion structure

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lin, Nan; Li, Zilong; Bambi, Cosimo

2015-09-01

SgrA{sup *} is the supermassive black hole candidate at the center of the Galaxy and an ideal laboratory to test general relativity. Following previous work by other authors, we use the Polish doughnut model to describe an optically thin and constant angular momentum ion torus in hydrodynamical equilibrium and model the accretion structure around SgrA{sup *}. The radiation mechanisms are bremsstrahlung, synchrotron emission, and inverse Compton scattering. We compute the spectrum as seen by a distant observer in Kerr and non-Kerr spacetimes and we study how an accurate measurement can constrain possible deviations form the Kerr solution. As in themore » case of emission from a thin accretion disk, we find a substantial degeneracy between the determination of the spin and of possible deviations from the Kerr geometry, even when the parameters of the ion torus are fixed. This means that this technique cannot independently test the nature of SgrA{sup *} even in the presence of good data and with the systematics under control. However, it might do it in combination with other measurements (black hole shadow, radio pulsar, etc.)« less

A concept for Z-dependent microbunching measurements with coherent X-ray transition radiation in a sase FEL

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lumpkin, A.H.; Fawley, W.M.; Rule, D.W.

We present an adaptation of the measurements performed in the visible-to-VUV regime of the z-dependent microbunching in a self-amplified spontaneous emission (SASE) free-electron laser (FEL). In these experiments a thin metal foil was used to block the more intense SASE radiation and to generate coherent optical transition radiation (COTR) as one source in a two-foil interferometer. However, for the proposed x-ray SASE FELs, the intense SASE emission is either too strongly transmitted at 1.5 Angstrom or the needed foil thickness for blocking scatters the electron beam too much. Since x-ray transition radiation (XTR) is emitted in an annulus with openingmore » angle 1/g = 36 mrad for 14.09-GeV electrons, we propose using a thin foil or foil stack to generate the XTR and coherent XTR (CXTR) and an annular crystal to wavelength sort the radiation. The combined selectivity in angle and wavelength will favor the CXTR over SASE by about eight orders of magnitude. Time-dependent GINGER simulations support the z-dependent gain evaluation plan.« less

Doping effect on SILAR synthesized crystalline nanostructured Cu-doped ZnO thin films grown on indium tin oxide (ITO) coated glass substrates and its characterization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dhaygude, H. D.; Shinde, S. K.; Velhal, Ninad B.; Takale, M. V.; Fulari, V. J.

2016-08-01

In the present study, a novel chemical route is used to synthesize the undoped and Cu-doped ZnO thin films in aqueous solution by successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction (SILAR) method. The synthesized thin films are characterized by x-ray diffractometer (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), energy dispersive x-ray analysis (EDAX), contact angle goniometer and UV-Vis spectroscopic techniques. XRD study shows that the prepared films are polycrystalline in nature with hexagonal crystal structure. The change in morphology for different doping is observed in the studies of FE-SEM. EDAX spectrum shows that the thin films consist of zinc, copper and oxygen elements. Contact angle goniometer is used to measure the contact angle between a liquid and a solid interface and after detection, the nature of the films is initiated from hydrophobic to hydrophilic. The optical band gap energy for direct allowed transition ranging between 1.60-2.91 eV is observed.

Vis-Near-Infrared Photodetectors Based on Methyl Ammonium Lead Iodide Thin Films by Pulsed Laser Deposition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Patel, Nagabhushan; Dias, Sandra; Krupanidhi, S. B.

2018-04-01

Organic-inorganic hybrid perovskite materials are considered as promising candidates for emerging thin-film photodetectors. In this work, we discuss the application of the CH3NH3PbI3 thin films by pulsed laser deposition for photodetection applications. With this method, we obtained good perovskite film coverage on fluorine-doped tin oxide-coated substrates and observed wel- developed grains. The films showed no sign of degradation over several months of testing. We investigated the surface morphology and surface roughness of the films by field emission scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy. The optical response of the films was studied using ultraviolet-visible and photoluminescence spectroscopy. We carried out a study on the solar and infrared photodetection of CH3NH3PbI3 thin films. The values of the responsivity, sensitivity, external quantum efficiency and specific detectivity under 1 sun illumination and 0.7 V bias were 105.4 A/W, 1.9, 2.38 × 104% and 1.5 × 1012 Jones, respectively.

Permanent laser conditioning of thin film optical materials

DOEpatents

Wolfe, C.R.; Kozlowski, M.R.; Campbell, J.H.; Staggs, M.; Rainer, F.

1995-12-05

The invention comprises a method for producing optical thin films with a high laser damage threshold and the resulting thin films. The laser damage threshold of the thin films is permanently increased by irradiating the thin films with a fluence below an unconditioned laser damage threshold. 9 figs.

Effects of the precursor concentration and different annealing ambients on the structural, optical, and electrical properties of nanostructured V2O5 thin films deposited by spray pyrolysis technique

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Irani, Rowshanak; Rozati, Seyed Mohammad; Beke, Szabolcs

2018-04-01

V2O5 thin films were deposited with different precursor concentrations of 0.01, 0.05, and 0.1 M on glass substrates by spray pyrolysis technique, then the optimized films were annealed in different ambients (air, oxygen, and vacuum). The results showed that by increasing the concentration, the films grew along the (001) direction with an orthorhombic structure. Field emission scanning electron microscopy showed that nanorods were formed when depositing 0.05 molar of VCl3. We conclude that with the precursor concentration, the surface nanostructure can be well-controlled. Annealing improved the crystallinity under all ambients, but the best crystallinity was achieved in vacuum. It was revealed that the as-deposited films had the highest transmission, whereas the films annealed in air had the lowest. When annealed in air, the optical band gap decreased from 2.45 to 2.32 eV. The sheet resistance, resistivity, mobility, conductivity, and carrier concentration were measured for all the prepared V2O5 films.

Deposition temperature dependent optical and electrical properties of ALD HfO{sub 2} gate dielectrics pretreated with tetrakisethylmethylamino hafnium

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gao, J.; School of Sciences, Anhui University of Science and Technology, Huainan 232001; He, G., E-mail: hegang@ahu.edu.cn

2015-10-15

Highlights: • ALD-derived HfO{sub 2} gate dielectrics have been deposited on Si substrates. • The leakage current mechanism for different deposition temperature was discussed. • Different emission at different field region has been determined precisely. - Abstract: The effect of deposition temperature on the growth rate, band gap energy and electrical properties of HfO{sub 2} thin film deposited by atomic layer deposition (ALD) has been investigated. By means of characterization of spectroscopy ellipsometry and ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy, the growth rate and optical constant of ALD-derived HfO{sub 2} gate dielectrics are determined precisely. The deposition temperature dependent electrical properties of HfO{sub 2}more » films were determined by capacitance–voltage (C–V) and leakage current density–voltage (J–V) measurements. The leakage current mechanism for different deposition temperature has been discussed systematically. As a result, the optimized deposition temperature has been obtained to achieve HfO{sub 2} thin film with high quality.« less

Radiometric calibration of optical microscopy and microspectroscopy apparata over a broad spectral range using a special thin-film luminescence standard

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Valenta, J., E-mail: jan.valenta@mff.cuni.cz; Greben, M.

2015-04-15

Application capabilities of optical microscopes and microspectroscopes can be considerably enhanced by a proper calibration of their spectral sensitivity. We propose and demonstrate a method of relative and absolute calibration of a microspectroscope over an extraordinary broad spectral range covered by two (parallel) detection branches in visible and near-infrared spectral regions. The key point of the absolute calibration of a relative spectral sensitivity is application of the standard sample formed by a thin layer of Si nanocrystals with stable and efficient photoluminescence. The spectral PL quantum yield and the PL spatial distribution of the standard sample must be characterized bymore » separate experiments. The absolutely calibrated microspectroscope enables to characterize spectral photon emittance of a studied object or even its luminescence quantum yield (QY) if additional knowledge about spatial distribution of emission and about excitance is available. Capabilities of the calibrated microspectroscope are demonstrated by measuring external QY of electroluminescence from a standard poly-Si solar-cell and of photoluminescence of Er-doped Si nanocrystals.« less

Simultaneous SMM flat crystal spectrometer and Very Large Array observations of solar active regions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lang, Kenneth R.; Willson, Robert F.; Smith, Kermit L.; Strong, Keith T.

1987-01-01

High-resolution images of the quiescent emission from two solar active regions at 20 cm (VLA) and soft X-ray (SMM FCS) wavelengths are compared. There are regions where the X-ray coronal loops have been completely imaged at 20 cm wavelength. In other regions, the X-ray radiation was detected without detectable 20 cm radiation, and vice versa. The X-ray data were used to infer average electron temperatures of about 3-million K and average electron densities of about 2.5 x 10 to the 9th/cu cm for the X-ray emitting plasma in the two active regions. The thermal bremsstrahlung of the X-ray emitting plasma is optically thin at 20 cm wavelength. The 20 cm brightness temperatures were always less than T(e), which is consistent with optically thin bremsstrahlung. The low T(B) can be explained if a higher, cooler plasma covers the hotter X-ray emitting plasma. Thermal gyroresonance radiation must account for the intense 20 cm radiation near and above sunspots where no X-ray radiation is detected.

Nanostructured refractory thin films for solar applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ollier, E.; Dunoyer, N.; Dellea, O.; Szambolics, H.

2014-08-01

Selective solar absorbers are key elements of all solar thermal systems. Solar thermal panels and Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) systems aim respectively at producing heat and electricity. In both cases, a surface receives the solar radiation and is designed to have the highest optical absorption (lowest optical reflectivity) of the solar radiation in the visible wavelength range where the solar intensity is the highest. It also has a low emissivity in the infrared (IR) range in order to avoid radiative thermal losses. Current solutions in the state of the art usually consist in deposited interferential thin films or in cermets [1]. Structured surfaces have been proposed and have been simulated because they are supposed to be more efficient when the solar radiation is not normal to the receiving surface and because they could potentially be fabricated with refractory materials able to sustain high operating temperatures. This work presents a new method to fabricate micro/nanostructured surfaces on molybdenum (refractory metal with a melting temperature of 2623°C). This method now allows obtaining a refractory selective surface with an excellent optical selectivity and a very high absorption in the visible range. This high absorption performance was obtained by achieving a double structuration at micro and nano scales thanks to an innovative process flow.

Herschel PACS Observations of 4–10 Myr Old Classical T Tauri Stars in Orion OB1

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maucó, Karina; Briceño, César; Calvet, Nuria; Hernández, Jesús; Ballesteros-Paredes, Javier; González, Omaira; Espaillat, Catherine C.; Li, Dan; Telesco, Charles M.; José Downes, Juan; Macías, Enrique; Qi, Chunhua; Michel, Raúl; D’Alessio, Paola; Ali, Babar

2018-05-01

We present Herschel PACS observations of eight classical T Tauri Stars in the ∼7–10 Myr old OB1a and the ∼4–5 Myr old OB1b Orion subassociations. Detailed modeling of the broadband spectral energy distributions, particularly the strong silicate emission at 10 μm, shows that these objects are (pre-)transitional disks with some amount of small optically thin dust inside their cavities, ranging from ∼4 to ∼90 au in size. We analyzed Spitzer IRS spectra for two objects in the sample: CVSO-107 and CVSO-109. The IRS spectrum of CVSO-107 indicates the presence of crystalline material inside its gap, while the silicate feature of CVSO-109 is characterized by a pristine profile produced by amorphous silicates; the mechanisms creating the optically thin dust seem to depend on disk local conditions. Using millimeter photometry, we estimated dust disk masses for CVSO-107 and CVSO-109 lower than the minimum mass of solids needed to form the planets in our solar system, which suggests that giant planet formation should be over in these disks. We speculate that the presence and maintenance of optically thick material in the inner regions of these pre-transitional disks might point to low-mass planet formation.

Two-dimensional models for the optical response of thin films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Yilei; Heinz, Tony F.

2018-04-01

In this work, we present a systematic study of 2D optical models for the response of thin layers of material under excitation by normally incident light. The treatment, within the framework of classical optics, analyzes a thin film supported by a semi-infinite substrate, with both the thin layer and the substrate assumed to exhibit local, isotropic linear response. Starting from the conventional three-dimensional (3D) slab model of the system, we derive a two-dimensional (2D) sheet model for the thin film in which the optical response is described by a sheet optical conductivity. We develop criteria for the applicability of this 2D sheet model for a layer with an optical thickness far smaller than the wavelength of the light. We examine in detail atomically thin semi-metallic and semiconductor van-der-Waals layers and ultrathin metal films as representative examples. Excellent agreement of the 2D sheet model with the 3D slab model is demonstrated over a broad spectral range from the radio frequency limit to the near ultraviolet. A linearized version of system response for the 2D model is also presented for the case where the influence of the optically thin layer is sufficiently weak. Analytical expressions for the applicability and accuracy of the different optical models are derived, and the appropriateness of the linearized treatment for the materials is considered. We discuss the advantages, as well as limitations, of these models for the purpose of deducing the optical response function of the thin layer from experiment. We generalize the theory to take into account in-plane anisotropy, layered thin film structures, and more general substrates. Implications of the 2D model for the transmission of light by the thin film and for the implementation of half- and totally absorbing layers are discussed.

Effects of Shocks on Emission from Central Engines of Active Galactic Nuclei. I

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sivron, R.; Caditz, D.; Tsuruta, S.

1996-01-01

In this paper we show that perturbations of the accretion flow within the central engines of some active galactic nuclei (AGNS) are likely to form shock waves in the accreting plasma. Such shocks, which may be either collisional or collisionless, can contribute to the observed high-energy temporal and spectral variability. Our rationale is the following: Observations show that the continuum emission probably originates in an optically thin, hot plasma in the AGN central engine. The flux and spectrum from this hot plasma varies significantly over light crossing timescales. Several authors have suggested that macroscopic perturbations contained within this plasma are the sources of this variability. In order to produce the observed emission the perturbations must be radiatively coupled with the optically thin hot matter and must also move with high velocities. We suggest that shocks, which can be very effective in randomizing the bulk motion of the perturbations, are responsible for this coupling. Shocks should form in the central engine, because the temperatures and magnetic fields are probably reduced below their virial values by radiative dissipation. Perturbations moving at Keplerian speeds, or strong non-linear excitations, result in supersonic and super-Alfvenic velocities leading to shock waves within the hot plasma. We show that even a perturbation smaller than the emitting region can form a shock that significantly modifies the continuum emission in an AGN, and that the spectral and temporal variability from such a shock generally resembles those of radio-quiet AGNS. As an example, the shock inducing perturbation in our model is a small main-sequence star, the capturing and eventual accretion of which are known to be a plausible process. We argue that shocks in the central engine may also provide a natural triggering mechanism for the "cold" component of Guilbert & Rees two-phase medium and an efficient mecha- nism for angular momentum transfer. Current and future missions, such as ASCA, XTE, XMM, AXAF, and ASTRO-E may determine the importance of shock-related emission from the central engines of AGNS.

Electromagnetically induced acoustic emission—novel NDT technique for damage evaluation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Finkel, P.; Godinez, V.; Miller, R.; Finlayson, R.

2001-04-01

A recently developed electromagnetically induced acoustic emission technique (EM AE) which can be used for damage assessment of thin walled conducting structures is described. This technique allows a structure to be loaded locally by applying an electromagnetic field in order to produce an AE response, which may be captured by conventional or fiber optic (FO) AE sensors. The advantage of this technique is that the localized dynamic stresses induced by a short current pulse in the presence of an external magnetic field aid in the detection of cracks. Also, it is shown that electromagnetic stimulation can be applied to enhance conventional ultrasonics by modulation of the scattered signal from the defect (EM UT). Experimental data is presented for the case of a fatigue crack near rivet holes in thin walled aluminum structures.

Si III OV Bright Line of Scattering Polarized Light That Has Been Observed in the CLASP and Its Center-to-Limb Variation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Katsukawa, Yukio; Ishikawa, Ryoko; Kano, Ryohei; Kubo, Masahito; Noriyuki, Narukage; Kisei, Bando; Hara, Hirohisa; Yoshiho, Suematsu; Goto, Motouji; Ishikawa, Shinnosuke;

Effect of Thin Cirrus Clouds on Dust Optical Depth Retrievals From MODIS Observations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Feng, Qian; Hsu, N. Christina; Yang, Ping; Tsay, Si-Chee

2011-01-01

The effect of thin cirrus clouds in retrieving the dust optical depth from MODIS observations is investigated by using a simplified aerosol retrieval algorithm based on the principles of the Deep Blue aerosol property retrieval method. Specifically, the errors of the retrieved dust optical depth due to thin cirrus contamination are quantified through the comparison of two retrievals by assuming dust-only atmospheres and the counterparts with overlapping mineral dust and thin cirrus clouds. To account for the effect of the polarization state of radiation field on radiance simulation, a vector radiative transfer model is used to generate the lookup tables. In the forward radiative transfer simulations involved in generating the lookup tables, the Rayleigh scattering by atmospheric gaseous molecules and the reflection of the surface assumed to be Lambertian are fully taken into account. Additionally, the spheroid model is utilized to account for the nonsphericity of dust particles In computing their optical properties. For simplicity, the single-scattering albedo, scattering phase matrix, and optical depth are specified a priori for thin cirrus clouds assumed to consist of droxtal ice crystals. The present results indicate that the errors in the retrieved dust optical depths due to the contamination of thin cirrus clouds depend on the scattering angle, underlying surface reflectance, and dust optical depth. Under heavy dusty conditions, the absolute errors are comparable to the predescribed optical depths of thin cirrus clouds.

Broadly tunable thin-film intereference coatings: active thin films for telecom applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Domash, Lawrence H.; Ma, Eugene Y.; Lourie, Mark T.; Sharfin, Wayne F.; Wagner, Matthias

2003-06-01

Thin film interference coatings (TFIC) are the most widely used optical technology for telecom filtering, but until recently no tunable versions have been known except for mechanically rotated filters. We describe a new approach to broadly tunable TFIC components based on the thermo-optic properties of semiconductor thin films with large thermo-optic coefficients 3.6X10[-4]/K. The technology is based on amorphous silicon thin films deposited by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD), a process adapted for telecom applications from its origins in the flat-panel display and solar cell industries. Unlike MEMS devices, tunable TFIC can be designed as sophisticated multi-cavity, multi-layer optical designs. Applications include flat-top passband filters for add-drop multiplexing, tunable dispersion compensators, tunable gain equalizers and variable optical attenuators. Extremely compact tunable devices may be integrated into modules such as optical channel monitors, tunable lasers, gain-equalized amplifiers, and tunable detectors.

Models of the Solar Atmospheric Response to Flare Heating

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Allred, Joel

2011-01-01

I will present models of the solar atmospheric response to flare heating. The models solve the equations of non-LTE radiation hydrodynamics with an electron beam added as a flare energy source term. Radiative transfer is solved in detail for many important optically thick hydrogen and helium transitions and numerous optically thin EUV lines making the models ideally suited to study the emission that is produced during flares. I will pay special attention to understanding key EUV lines as well the mechanism for white light production. I will also present preliminary results of how the model solar atmosphere responds to Fletcher & Hudson type flare heating. I will compare this with the results from flare simulations using the standard thick target model.

Single n-GaN microwire/p-Silicon thin film heterojunction light-emitting diode.

PubMed

Ahn, Jaehui; Mastro, Michael A; Klein, Paul B; Hite, Jennifer K; Feigelson, Boris; Eddy, Charles R; Kim, Jihyun

2011-10-24

The emission and waveguiding properties of individual GaN microwires as well as devices based on an n-GaN microwire/p-Si (100) junction were studied for relevance in optoelectronics and optical circuits. Pulsed photoluminescence of the GaN microwire excited in the transverse or longitudinal direction demonstrated gain. These n-type GaN microwires were positioned mechanically or by dielectrophoretic force onto pre-patterned electrodes on a p-type Si (100) substrate. Electroluminescence from this p-n point junction was characteristic of a heterostructure light-emitting diode. Additionally, waveguiding was observed along the length of the microwire for light originating from photoluminescence as well as from electroluminescence generated at the p-n junction. © 2011 Optical Society of America

Triblock copolymer micelles as templates for preparation of mesoporous niobia thin films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Georgiev, R.; Christova, D.; Todorova, L.; Georgieva, B.; Vasileva, M.; Novakov, Ch; Babeva, T.

2018-03-01

The micelle formation of commercially available Pluronic PE 6800 (PEO-PPO-PEO triblock copolymer) was studied by means of a dye solubilization method, and the solubility of 1,6-diphenyl-1,3,5-hexatriene in aqueous solutions of the copolymer with concentrations ranging from 0.05 to 20 % w/v was studied by recording the transmission and emission spectra of the solutions using UV-VIS and photoluminescence spectroscopy, respectively. Further, mesoporous Nb2O5 films using PE 6800 micelles templates were obtained through sol-gel using spin-coating; their morphology, structure and optical properties were studied by TEM, SAED and nonlinear fitting of reflectance measurements. The possible application of the films in optical sensing of vapors was demonstrated and discussed.

Absorption and Emission of Light in Optoelectronic Nanomaterials: The Role of the Local Optical Environment.

PubMed

Jiménez-Solano, Alberto; Galisteo-López, Juan F; Míguez, Hernán

2018-04-19

Tailoring the interaction of electromagnetic radiation with matter is central to the development of optoelectronic devices. This becomes particularly relevant for a new generation of devices offering the possibility of solution processing with competitive efficiencies as well as new functionalities. These devices, containing novel materials such as inorganic colloidal quantum dots or hybrid organic-inorganic lead halide perovskites, commonly demand thin (tens of nanometers) active layers in order to perform optimally and thus maximizing the way electromagnetic radiation interacts with these layers is essential. In this Perspective, we discuss the relevance of tailoring the optical environment of the active layer in an optoelectronic device and illustrate it with two real-world systems comprising photovoltaic cells and light emitting devices.

Optical figuring specifications for thin shells to be used in adaptive telescope mirrors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Riccardi, A.

2006-06-01

The present work describes the guidelines to define the optical figuring specifications for optical manufacturing of thin shells in terms of figuring error power spectrum (and related rms vs scale distributon) to be used in adaptive optics correctors with force actuators like Deformable Secondary Mirrors (DSM). In particular the numerical example for a thin shell for a VLT DSM is considered.

Novel photon management for thin-film photovoltaics

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Menon, Rajesh

2016-11-11

The objective of this project is to enable commercially viable thin-film photovoltaics whose efficiencies are increased by over 10% using a novel optical spectral-separation technique. A thin planar diffractive optic is proposed that efficiently separates the solar spectrum and assigns these bands to optimal thin-film sub-cells. An integrated device that is comprised of the optical element, an array of sub-cells and associated packaging is proposed.

Electromagnetic and optical characteristics of Nb5+-doped double-crossover and salmon DNA thin films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Babu Mitta, Sekhar; Reddy Dugasani, Sreekantha; Jung, Soon-Gil; Vellampatti, Srivithya; Park, Tuson; Park, Sung Ha

2017-10-01

We report the fabrication and physical characteristics of niobium ion (Nb5+)-doped double-crossover DNA (DX-DNA) and salmon DNA (SDNA) thin films. Different concentrations of Nb5+ ([Nb5+]) are coordinated into the DNA molecules, and the thin films are fabricated via substrate-assisted growth (DX-DNA) and drop-casting (SDNA) on oxygen plasma treated substrates. We conducted atomic force microscopy to estimate the optimum concentration of Nb5+ ([Nb5+]O = 0.08 mM) in Nb5+-doped DX-DNA thin films, up to which the DX-DNA lattices maintain their structures without deformation. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) was performed to probe the chemical nature of the intercalated Nb5+ in the SDNA thin films. The change in peak intensities and the shift in binding energy were witnessed in XPS spectra to explicate the binding and charge transfer mechanisms between Nb5+ and SDNA molecules. UV-visible, Raman, and photoluminescence (PL) spectra were measured to determine the optical properties and thus investigate the binding modes, Nb5+ coordination sites in Nb5+-doped SDNA thin films, and energy transfer mechanisms, respectively. As [Nb5+] increases, the absorbance peak intensities monotonically increase until ˜[Nb5+]O and then decrease. However, from the Raman measurements, the peak intensities gradually decrease with an increase in [Nb5+] to reveal the binding mechanism and binding sites of metal ions in the SDNA molecules. From the PL, we observe the emission intensities to reduce them at up to ˜[Nb5+]O and then increase after that, expecting the energy transfer between the Nb5+ and SDNA molecules. The current-voltage measurement shows a significant increase in the current observed as [Nb5+] increases in the SDNA thin films when compared to that of pristine SDNA thin films. Finally, we investigate the temperature dependent magnetization in which the Nb5+-doped SDNA thin films reveal weak ferromagnetism due to the existence of tiny magnetic dipoles in the Nb5+-doped SDNA complex.

Guilt by Association: The 13 micron Dust Feature in Circumstellar Shells and Related Spectral Features

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sloan, G. C.; Kraemer, K. E.; Goebel, J. H.; Price, S. D.

A study of spectra from the SWS on ISO of optically thin oxygen-rich dust shells shows that the strength of the 13 micron dust emission feature is correlated with the CO2 bands (13--17 microns) and dust emission features at 19.8 and 28.1 microns. SRb variables tend to show stronger 13 micron features than Mira variables, suggesting that the presence of the 13 micron and related features depends on pulsation mode and mass-loss rate. The absence of any correlation to dust emission features at 16.8 and 32 microns makes spinel an unlikely carrier. The most plausible carrier of the 13 micron feature remains crystalline alumina, and we suggest that the related dust features may be crystalline silicates. When dust forms in regions of low density, it may condense into crystalline grain structures.

ZnO nanowires for tunable near-UV/blue LED

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pauporté, Thierry; Lupan, Oleg; Viana, Bruno

2012-02-01

Nanowires (NWs)-based light emitting diodes (LEDs) have drawn large interest due to many advantages compared to thin film based devices. Markedly improved performances are expected from nanostructured active layers for light emission. Nanowires can act as direct waveguides and favor light extraction without the use of lenses and reflectors. Moreover, the use of wires avoids the presence of grain boundaries and then the emission efficiency should be boosted by the absence of non-radiative recombinations at the joint defects. Electrochemical deposition technique was used for the preparation of ZnO-NWs based light emitters. Nanowires of high structural and optical quality have been epitaxially grown on p-GaN single crystalline films substrates. We have shown that the emission is directional with a wavelength that was tuned and red-shifted toward the visible region by doping with Cu in ZnO NWs.

Cold atomic hydrogen in the inner galaxy

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dickey, J. M.; Garwood, R. W.

1986-01-01

The VLA is used to measure 21 cm absorption in directions with the absolute value of b less than 1 deg., the absolute value of 1 less than 25 deg. to probe the cool atomic gas in the inner galaxy. Abundant H I absorption is detected; typical lines are deep and narrow, sometimes blending in velocity with adjacent features. Unlike 21 cm emission not all allowed velocities are covered: large portions of the l-v diagram are optically thin. Although not similar to H I emission, the absorption shows a striking correspondence with CO emission in the inner galaxy: essentially every strong feature detected in one survey is seen in the other. The provisional conclusion is that in the inner galaxy most cool atomic gas is associated with molecular cloud complexes. There are few or no cold atomic clouds devoid of molecules in the inner galaxy, although these are common in the outer galaxy.

Dopant-driven enhancements in the optoelectronic properties of laser ablated ZnO: Ga thin films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hassan, Ali; Jin, Yuhua; Chao, Feng; Irfan, Muhammad; Jiang, Yijian

2018-04-01

Theoretically and experimentally evaluated optoelectronic properties of GZO (Ga-doped zinc oxide) were correlated in the present article. Density functional theory and Hubbard U (DFT + Ud + Up) first-principle calculations were used for the theoretical study. The pulsed laser deposition technique was used to fabricate GZO thin films on p-GaN, Al2O3, and p-Si substrates. X-ray diffraction graphs show single crystal growth of GZO thin films with (002) preferred crystallographic orientation. The chemical composition was studied via energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and no other unwanted impurity-related peaks were found, which indicated the impurity-free thin film growth of GZO. Field emission scanning electron microscopic micrographs revealed noodle-, seed-, and granular-like structures of GZO/GaN, GZO/Al2O3, and GZO/Si, respectively. Uniform growth of GZO/GaN was found due to fewer mismatches between ZnO and GaN (0.09%). Hall effect measurements in the van der Pauw configuration were used to check electrical properties. The highest mobility (53 cm2/Vs) with a high carrier concentration was found with low laser shots (1800). A 5-fold photoluminescence enhancement in the noodle-like structure of GZO/GaN compared with GZO/Al2O3 and GZO/Si was detected. This points toward shape-driven optical properties because the noodle-like structure is more favorable for optical enhancements in GZO thin films. Theoretical (3.539 eV) and experimental (3.54 eV) values of the band-gap were also found to be comparable. Moreover, the lowest resistivity (3.5 × 10-4 Ωcm) with 80% transmittance is evidence that GZO is a successful alternate of ITO.

Spectroscopic ellipsometry investigation of the optical properties of graphene oxide dip-coated on magnetron sputtered gold thin films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Politano, Grazia Giuseppina; Vena, Carlo; Desiderio, Giovanni; Versace, Carlo

2018-02-01

Despite intensive investigations on graphene oxide-gold nanocomposites, the interaction of graphene oxide sheets with magnetron sputtered gold thin films has not been studied yet. The optical constants of graphene oxide thin films dip-coated on magnetron sputtered gold thin films were determined by spectroscopic ellipsometry in the [300-1000] wavelength range. Moreover, the morphologic properties of the samples were investigated by SEM analysis. Graphene oxide absorbs mainly in the ultraviolet region, but when it is dip-coated on magnetron sputtered gold thin films, its optical constants show dramatic changes, becoming absorbing in the visible region, with a peak of the extinction coefficient at 3.1 eV. Using magnetron sputtered gold thin films as a substrate for graphene oxide thin films could therefore be the key to enhance graphene oxide optical sheets' properties for several technological applications, preserving their oxygen content and avoiding the reduction process.

Stratospheric balloon observations of comets C/2013 A1 (Siding Spring), C/2014 E2 (Jacques), and Ceres

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cheng, Andrew F.; Hibbitts, C. A.; Espiritu, R.; McMichael, R.; Fletcher, Z.; Bernasconi, P.; Adams, J. D.; Lisse, C. M.; Sitko, M. L.; Fernandes, R.; Young, E. F.; Kremic, T.

2017-01-01

The Balloon Observation Platform for Planetary Science (BOPPS) was launched from Fort Sumner, New Mexico on September 26, 2014 and observed Oort Cloud comets from a stratospheric balloon observatory, using a 0.8 meter aperture telescope, a pointing system that achieved < 1 arc second pointing stability, and an imaging instrument suite covering the near-ultraviolet to mid-infrared. BOPPS observed two Oort Cloud comets, C/2013 A1 (Siding Spring) and C/2014 E2 (Jacques), at the 2.7 μm wavelength of water emission. BOPPS also observed Ceres at 2.7 μm wavelength to characterize the nature of hydrated materials on Ceres. Absolute flux calibrations were made using observations of A0V stars at nearly the same elevations as each target. The Comet Siding Spring brightness in R-band was magnitude R = 10.8 in a photometric aperture of 17.4″. The inferred H2O production rate from Comet Siding Spring was 6 × 1027 s-1, assuming optically thin emissions, which may be a lower limit if optical depth effects are important. A superheat dust population was discovered at Comet Jacques, producing a bright infrared continuum without evidence for line emission. Observations of Ceres from BOPPS and from IRTF, obtained the same night, did not find evidence for a strong water vapor emission near 2.7 μm and led to an approximate upper limit < 7 × 1027 s-1 for water emission from Ceres.

Structural and optical properties of ITO and Cu doped ITO thin films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chakraborty, Deepannita; Kaleemulla, S.; Rao, N. Madhusudhana; Subbaravamma, K.; Rao, G. Venugopal

2018-04-01

(In0.95Sn0.05)2O3 and (In0.90Cu0.05Sn0.05)2O3 thin films were coated onto glass substrate by electron beam evaporation technique. The structural and optical properties of ITO and Cu doped ITO thin films have been studied by X-ray diffractometer (XRD) and UV-Vis-NIR spectrophotometer. The crystallite size obtained for ITO and Cu doped ITO thin films was in the range of 24 nm to 22 nm. The optical band gap of 4 eV for ITO thin film sample has been observed. The optical band gap decreases to 3.85 eV by doping Cu in ITO.

Thermo-optically tunable thin film devices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Domash, Lawrence H.

2003-10-01

We report advances in tunable thin film technology and demonstration of multi-cavity tunable filters. Thin film interference coatings are the most widely used optical technology for telecom filtering, but until recently no tunable versions have been known except for mechanically rotated filters. We describe a new approach to broadly tunable components based on the properties of semiconductor thin films with large thermo-optic coefficients. The technology is based on amorphous silicon deposited by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD), a process adapted for telecom applications from its origins in the flat-panel display and solar cell industries. Unlike MEMS devices, tunable thin films can be constructed in sophisticated multi-cavity, multi-layer optical designs.

Low-Cost Detection of Thin Film Stress during Fabrication

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nabors, Sammy A.

2015-01-01

NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center has developed a simple, cost-effective optical method for thin film stress measurements during growth and/or subsequent annealing processes. Stress arising in thin film fabrication presents production challenges for electronic devices, sensors, and optical coatings; it can lead to substrate distortion and deformation, impacting the performance of thin film products. NASA's technique measures in-situ stress using a simple, noncontact fiber optic probe in the thin film vacuum deposition chamber. This enables real-time monitoring of stress during the fabrication process and allows for efficient control of deposition process parameters. By modifying process parameters in real time during fabrication, thin film stress can be optimized or controlled, improving thin film product performance.

Monte Carlo Simulations of the Photospheric Emission in Gamma-Ray Bursts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bégué, D.; Siutsou, I. A.; Vereshchagin, G. V.

2013-04-01

We studied the decoupling of photons from ultra-relativistic spherically symmetric outflows expanding with constant velocity by means of Monte Carlo simulations. For outflows with finite widths we confirm the existence of two regimes: photon-thick and photon-thin, introduced recently by Ruffini et al. (RSV). The probability density function of the last scattering of photons is shown to be very different in these two cases. We also obtained spectra as well as light curves. In the photon-thick case, the time-integrated spectrum is much broader than the Planck function and its shape is well described by the fuzzy photosphere approximation introduced by RSV. In the photon-thin case, we confirm the crucial role of photon diffusion, hence the probability density of decoupling has a maximum near the diffusion radius well below the photosphere. The time-integrated spectrum of the photon-thin case has a Band shape that is produced when the outflow is optically thick and its peak is formed at the diffusion radius.

MONTE CARLO SIMULATIONS OF THE PHOTOSPHERIC EMISSION IN GAMMA-RAY BURSTS

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Begue, D.; Siutsou, I. A.; Vereshchagin, G. V.

2013-04-20

We studied the decoupling of photons from ultra-relativistic spherically symmetric outflows expanding with constant velocity by means of Monte Carlo simulations. For outflows with finite widths we confirm the existence of two regimes: photon-thick and photon-thin, introduced recently by Ruffini et al. (RSV). The probability density function of the last scattering of photons is shown to be very different in these two cases. We also obtained spectra as well as light curves. In the photon-thick case, the time-integrated spectrum is much broader than the Planck function and its shape is well described by the fuzzy photosphere approximation introduced by RSV.more » In the photon-thin case, we confirm the crucial role of photon diffusion, hence the probability density of decoupling has a maximum near the diffusion radius well below the photosphere. The time-integrated spectrum of the photon-thin case has a Band shape that is produced when the outflow is optically thick and its peak is formed at the diffusion radius.« less

On the Nature of CP Pup

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mason, E.; Orio, M.; Mukai, K.; Bianchini, A.; deMartino, D.; diMille, F.; Williams, R. E.

2013-01-01

We present new X-ray and optical spectra of the old nova CP Pup (nova Pup 1942) obtained with Chandra and the CTIO 4m telescope. The X-ray spectrum reveals a multi-temperature optically thin plasma reaching a maximum temperature of 36+19 keV 16 absorbed by local complex neutral material. The time resolved optical spectroscopy confirms the presence of the 1.47 hr period, with cycle-to-cycle amplitude changes, as well as of an additional long term modulation which is suggestive either of a longer pe- riod or of non-Keplerian velocities in the emission line regions. These new observational facts add further support to CP Pup as a magnetic cataclysmic variable (mCV). We compare the mCV and the non-mCV scenarios and while we cannot conclude whether CP Pup is a long period system, all observational evidences point at an intermediate polar (IP) type CV.

Good imaging with very fast paraboloidal primaries - An optical solution and some applications. [performance improvement of astronomical telescopes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Angel, J. R. P.; Woolf, N. J.; Epps, N. W.

1982-01-01

Attention is given to the imaging performance improvement obtainable in telescopes with fast parabolic primaries by means of two-mirror correctors of the Paul-Baker type. Images with 80 percent of the energy concentrated within 0.2 arcsec are projected for an f/1 primary relaying to an f/2 final focus, over a 1 deg-diameter field. It is noted that the mechanical structure and enclosure of a large telescope built with these fast optics should be significantly smaller and less expensive than those for conventional optics. The application of the Paul-Baker corrector system is explored for such diverse telescope types as those employing six off-axis primary mirrors, UV astronomy telescopes with no chromatic aberration, a low emissivity IR astronomy instrument with an off-axis f/1 parent primary mirror part, and thin rectangular aperture telescopes which are useful for spectroscopy and photometry.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Liu, J. X., E-mail: jsliu9@berkeley.edu; Milbourne, T.; Bitter, M.

The implementation of advanced electron cyclotron emission imaging (ECEI) systems on tokamak experiments has revolutionized the diagnosis of magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) activities and improved our understanding of instabilities, which lead to disruptions. It is therefore desirable to have an ECEI system on the ITER tokamak. However, the large size of optical components in presently used ECEI systems have, up to now, precluded the implementation of an ECEI system on ITER. This paper describes a new optical ECEI concept that employs a single spherical mirror as the only optical component and exploits the astigmatism of such a mirror to produce an imagemore » with one-dimensional spatial resolution on the detector. Since this alternative approach would only require a thin slit as the viewing port to the plasma, it would make the implementation of an ECEI system on ITER feasible. The results obtained from proof-of-principle experiments with a 125 GHz microwave system are presented.« less

Sub-wavelength terahertz beam profiling of a THz source via an all-optical knife-edge technique.

PubMed

Phing, Sze Ho; Mazhorova, Anna; Shalaby, Mostafa; Peccianti, Marco; Clerici, Matteo; Pasquazi, Alessia; Ozturk, Yavuz; Ali, Jalil; Morandotti, Roberto

2015-02-25

Terahertz technologies recently emerged as outstanding candidates for a variety of applications in such sectors as security, biomedical, pharmaceutical, aero spatial, etc. Imaging the terahertz field, however, still remains a challenge, particularly when sub-wavelength resolutions are involved. Here we demonstrate an all-optical technique for the terahertz near-field imaging directly at the source plane. A thin layer (<100 nm-thickness) of photo carriers is induced on the surface of the terahertz generation crystal, which acts as an all-optical, virtual blade for terahertz near-field imaging via a knife-edge technique. Remarkably, and in spite of the fact that the proposed approach does not require any mechanical probe, such as tips or apertures, we are able to demonstrate the imaging of a terahertz source with deeply sub-wavelength features (<30 μm) directly in its emission plane.

Fine structure constant and quantized optical transparency of plasmonic nanoarrays.

PubMed

Kravets, V G; Schedin, F; Grigorenko, A N

2012-01-24

Optics is renowned for displaying quantum phenomena. Indeed, studies of emission and absorption lines, the photoelectric effect and blackbody radiation helped to build the foundations of quantum mechanics. Nevertheless, it came as a surprise that the visible transparency of suspended graphene is determined solely by the fine structure constant, as this kind of universality had been previously reserved only for quantized resistance and flux quanta in superconductors. Here we describe a plasmonic system in which relative optical transparency is determined solely by the fine structure constant. The system consists of a regular array of gold nanoparticles fabricated on a thin metallic sublayer. We show that its relative transparency can be quantized in the near-infrared, which we attribute to the quantized contact resistance between the nanoparticles and the metallic sublayer. Our results open new possibilities in the exploration of universal dynamic conductance in plasmonic nanooptics.

Photoionization Models for the Inner Gaseous Disks of Herbig Be Stars: Evidence against Magnetospheric Accretion?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Patel, P.; Sigut, T. A. A.; Landstreet, J. D.

2017-02-01

We investigate the physical properties of the inner gaseous disks of three hot Herbig B2e stars, HD 76534, HD 114981, and HD 216629, by modeling CFHT-ESPaDOns spectra using non-LTE radiative transfer codes. We assume that the emission lines are produced in a circumstellar disk heated solely by photospheric radiation from the central star in order to test whether the optical and near-infrared emission lines can be reproduced without invoking magnetospheric accretion. The inner gaseous disk density was assumed to follow a simple power-law in the equatorial plane, and we searched for models that could reproduce observed lines of H I (Hα and Hβ), He I, Ca II, and Fe II. For the three stars, good matches were found for all emission line profiles individually; however, no density model based on a single power-law was able to reproduce all of the observed emission lines. Among the single power-law models, the one with the gas density varying as ˜10-10(R */R)3 g cm-3 in the equatorial plane of a 25 R * (0.78 au) disk did the best overall job of representing the optical emission lines of the three stars. This model implies a mass for the Hα-emitting portion of the inner gaseous disk of ˜10-9 M *. We conclude that the optical emission line spectra of these HBe stars can be qualitatively reproduced by a ≈1 au, geometrically thin, circumstellar disk of negligible mass compared to the central star in Keplerian rotation and radiative equilibrium. Based on observations obtained at the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope (CFHT) which is operated by the National Research Council of Canada, the Institut National des Sciences de l”Univers of the Centre National de la Recherche Scientique of France, and the University of Hawaii.

Disk Evolution in Cep OB2: Results from the Spitzer Space Telescope

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sicilia-Aguilar Aurora; Hartmann, Lee W.; Calvet Nuria; Megeath, S. T.; Muzerolle, James; Allen, Lori; D'Alessio, Paola; Merin, Bruno; Stauffer, John; Lada, Charles;

Light amplification and lasing from dyes doped in DNA-complex thin films prepared by soaking method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kawabe, Yutaka; Suzuki, Takemasa; Iisaka, You

2014-08-01

An alternative fabrication method for dye-doped DNA-surfactant complex films was developed and amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) and lasing under low energy optical pumping were demonstrated. In this new preparation technique, thin DNA-cethyltrimethylammonium (CTMA) complex films made by a spin coating method were stained with a hemicyanine dye by soaking them in acetone solution of the dye for one day. Molar ratio of the dye to DNA base pair for the final products was estimated to be 0.2, the value was much higher than those achieved via usual mixing method. ASE threshold value under pumping of a pulsed frequency-doubled YAG laser was about 0.3 mJ/cm2. Laser emission was also attained under the excitation with two interfering beams forming a dynamic grating of gain coefficient. Durability test indicated that 70% of their initial performance was maintained after 1 hour of continuous pumping. The technique was applied to water soluble dyes because the DNA complex was insoluble to water as well as acetone. We employed anionic Eosin Y dye, succeeding in sample formation and ASE emission. Different types of surfactants were also complexed with DNA, showing variation of emission peak wavelength. These results give a clue about the structure of the complex or interaction modes between DNA and surfactants, strongly suggesting that dye molecules are not intercalated into nor bound to DNA double strand directly, but are incorporated in the complex system via ion-exchange process or aggregating with cationic surfactants.

Dynamic Reconstruction and Multivariable Control for Force-Actuated, Thin Facesheet Adaptive Optics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Grocott, Simon C. O.; Miller, David W.

1997-01-01

The Multiple Mirror Telescope (MMT) under development at the University of Arizona takes a new approach in adaptive optics placing a large (0.65 m) force-actuated, thin facesheet deformable mirror at the secondary of an astronomical telescope, thus reducing the effects of emissivity which are important in IR astronomy. However, The large size of the mirror and low stiffness actuators used drive the natural frequencies of the mirror down into the bandwidth of the atmospheric distortion. Conventional adaptive optics takes a quasi-static approach to controlling the, deformable mirror. However, flexibility within the control bandwidth calls for a new approach to adaptive optics. Dynamic influence functions are used to characterize the influence of each actuator on the surface of the deformable mirror. A linearized model of atmospheric distortion is combined with dynamic influence functions to produce a dynamic reconstructor. This dynamic reconstructor is recognized as an optimal control problem. Solving the optimal control problem for a system with hundreds of actuators and sensors is formidable. Exploiting the circularly symmetric geometry of the mirror, and a suitable model of atmospheric distortion, the control problem is divided into a number of smaller decoupled control problems using circulant matrix theory. A hierarchic control scheme which seeks to emulate the quasi-static control approach that is generally used in adaptive optics is compared to the proposed dynamic reconstruction technique. Although dynamic reconstruction requires somewhat more computational power to implement, it achieves better performance with less power usage, and is less sensitive than the hierarchic technique.

An Evolving Compact Jet in the Black Hole X-Ray Binary Maxi J1836-194

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Russell, D. M.; Russell, T. D.; Miller-Jones, J. C. A.; O'Brien, K.; Soria, R.; Sivakoff, G. R.; Slaven-Blair, T.; Lewis, F.; Markoff, S.; Homan, J.;

Nonlinear optical parameters of nanocrystalline AZO thin film measured at different substrate temperatures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jilani, Asim; Abdel-wahab, M. Sh; Al-ghamdi, Attieh A.; Dahlan, Ammar sadik; Yahia, I. S.

2016-01-01

The 2.2 wt% of aluminum (Al)-doped zinc oxide (AZO) transparent and preferential c-axis oriented thin films were prepared by using radio frequency (DC/RF) magnetron sputtering at different substrate temperature ranging from room temperature to 200 °C. For structural analysis, X-ray Diffraction (XRD) and Atomic Force Electron Microscope (AFM) was used for morphological studies. The optical parameters such as, optical energy gap, refractive index, extinction coefficient, dielectric loss, tangent loss, first and third order nonlinear optical properties of transparent films were investigated. High transmittance above 90% and highly homogeneous surface were observed in all samples. The substrate temperature plays an important role to get the best transparent conductive oxide thin films. The substrate temperature at 150 °C showed the growth of highly transparent AZO thin film. Energy gap increased with the increased in substrate temperature of Al doped thin films. Dielectric constant and loss were found to be photon energy dependent with substrate temperature. The change in substrate temperature of Al doped thin films also affect the non-liner optical properties of thin films. The value of χ(3) was found to be changed with the grain size of the thin films that directly affected by the substrate temperature of the pure and Al doped ZnO thin films.

Acoustical Emission Source Location in Thin Rods Through Wavelet Detail Crosscorrelation

DTIC Science & Technology

1998-03-01

NAVAL POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL Monterey, California THESIS ACOUSTICAL EMISSION SOURCE LOCATION IN THIN RODS THROUGH WAVELET DETAIL CROSSCORRELATION...ACOUSTICAL EMISSION SOURCE LOCATION IN THIN RODS THROUGH WAVELET DETAIL CROSSCORRELATION 6. AUTHOR(S) Jerauld, Joseph G. 5. FUNDING NUMBERS Grant...frequency characteristics of Wavelet Analysis. Software implementation now enables the exploration of the Wavelet Transform to identify the time of

Optical and morphological characterizations of pyronin dye-poly (vinyl alcohol) thin films formed on glass substrates

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Meral, Kadem, E-mail: kademm@atauni.edu.tr; Arik, Mustafa, E-mail: marik@tatauni.edu.tr; Onganer, Yavuz, E-mail: yonganer@atauni.edu.tr

Thin films of pyronin dye mixed with poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) on glass substrate were prepared by using spin-coating technique. The optical and morphological properties of the thin films were studied by UV-Vis., steady-state fluorescence spectroscopies and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The thin films on glass substrate were fabricated at various [PVA]/[dye] (P/D) ratios. Hence, the monomeric and H-aggregates thin films of pyronin dye mixed with PVA were formed as a function of the dye and PVA concentration. It was determined that while the monomeric thin films showed strong fluorescence, the formation of H-aggregates in the thin film caused to decreasingmore » the fluorescence intensity. AFM studies demonstrated that the morphology of the thin film was drastically varied with changing the optical property of the thin film such as monomeric and H-aggregates thin films.« less

Silicon-integrated thin-film structure for electro-optic applications

DOEpatents

McKee, Rodney A.; Walker, Frederick Joseph

2000-01-01

A crystalline thin-film structure suited for use in any of an number of electro-optic applications, such as a phase modulator or a component of an interferometer, includes a semiconductor substrate of silicon and a ferroelectric, optically-clear thin film of the perovskite BaTiO.sub.3 overlying the surface of the silicon substrate. The BaTiO.sub.3 thin film is characterized in that substantially all of the dipole moments associated with the ferroelectric film are arranged substantially parallel to the surface of the substrate to enhance the electro-optic qualities of the film.

Spread of the dust temperature distribution in circumstellar disks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Heese, S.; Wolf, S.; Dutrey, A.; Guilloteau, S.

2017-07-01

Context. Accurate temperature calculations for circumstellar disks are particularly important for their chemical evolution. Their temperature distribution is determined by the optical properties of the dust grains, which, among other parameters, depend on their radius. However, in most disk studies, only average optical properties and thus an average temperature is assumed to account for an ensemble of grains with different radii. Aims: We investigate the impact of subdividing the grain radius distribution into multiple sub-intervals on the resulting dust temperature distribution and spectral energy distribution (SED). Methods: The temperature distribution, the relative grain surface below a certain temperature, the freeze-out radius, and the SED were computed for two different scenarios: (1) Radius distribution represented by 16 logarithmically distributed radius intervals, and (2) radius distribution represented by a single grain species with averaged optical properties (reference). Results: Within the considered parameter range, I.e., of grain radii between 5 nm and 1 mm and an optically thin and thick disk with a parameterized density distribution, we obtain the following results: in optically thin disk regions, the temperature spread can be as large as 63% and the relative grain surface below a certain temperature is lower than in the reference disk. With increasing optical depth, the difference in the midplane temperature and the relative grain surface below a certain temperature decreases. Furthermore, below 20 K, this fraction is higher for the reference disk than for the case of multiple grain radii, while it shows the opposite behavior for temperatures above this threshold. The thermal emission in the case of multiple grain radii at short wavelengths is stronger than for the reference disk. The freeze-out radius (snowline) is a function of grain radius, spanning a radial range between the coldest and warmest grain species of 30 AU.

Carbon-Nitrogen-Oxygen Line Radiation and the X-ray Bowen Fluorescence Mechanism in Optically Thick, Highly Ionized Media

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sako, Masao

2003-01-01

Radiative transfer effects due to overlapping X-ray lines in a high-temperature, optically thick, highly ionized medium are investigated. One particular example, in which the O VIII Lyalpha doublet (2(sup 2) P(sub 1/2,3/2)-1(sup 2) S(sub 1/2) coincides in frequency with the N VII Lyzeta lines (7(sup 2) P(sub 1/2,3/2)-1(sup 2) S(sub 1/2) is studied in detail to illustrate the effects on the properties of the emergent line spectrum. We solve the radiative transfer equation to study the energy transport of resonance-line radiation in a static, infinite, plane-parallel geometry, which is used to compute the destruction/escape probabilities for each of the lines for various total optical thicknesses of the medium, as well as destruction probabilities by sources of underlying photoelectric opacity. It is found that a large fraction of the O vIII Lyalpha line radiation can be destroyed by N VII, which can result in a reversal of the O VIII Lyalpha/N VII Lyalpha line intensity ratio similar to what may be seen under nonsolar abundances. Photoelectric absorption by ionized carbon and nitrogen can also subsequently increase the emission-line intensities of these ions. We show that line ratios, which are directly proportional to the abundance ratios in optically thin plasmas, are not good indicators of the true CNO abundances. Conversely, global spectral modeling that assumes optically thin conditions may yield incorrect abundance estimates when compared with observations, especially if the optical depth is large. Other potentially important overlapping lines and continua in the X-ray band are also identified, and their possible relevance to recent high-resolution spectroscopic observations with Chandra and XMM-Newton are briefly discussed.

The stellar wind as a key to the understanding of the spectral activity of IN Com

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kozlova, O. V.; Alekseev, I. Yu.

2014-06-01

We present long-term spectral observations ( R = 20000) of IN Com in the region of the Hα, Hβ, and He I 5876 lines. One distinguishing characteristic of the stellar spectrum is the presence in the Hα line of an extended two-component emission with limits up to ±400 km/s. Emission parameters show the rotation modulation with the stellar rotation period and a significant variability on the long-term scale. Similar emissions are also observed in the Hβ and He I 5876 lines. Our results allow us to conclude that observational emission profiles are formed in an optically thin hot gas. This is a result of the presence of a circumstellar gas disk around IN Com. Its size does not exceed several stellar radii. The material for the disk is supported by the stellar wind from IN Com. The detected variability of Hα-emission parameters shows a clear connection with the photopolarimetric activity of the star. This fact allows us to associate the long-term spectral variability with cycles of stellar activity of IN Com.

Kinematical line broadening and spatially resolved line profiles from AGN.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schulz, H.; Muecke, A.; Boer, B.; Dresen, M.; Schmidt-Kaler, T.

1995-03-01

We study geometrical effects for emission-line broadening in the optically thin limit by integrating the projected line emissivity along prespecified lines of sight that intersect rotating or expanding disks or cone-like configurations. Analytical expressions are given for the case that emissivity and velocity follow power laws of the radial distance. The results help to interpret spatially resolved spectra and to check the reliability of numerical computations. In the second part we describe a numerical code applicable to any geometrical configuration. Turbulent motions, atmospheric seeing and effects induced by the size of the observing aperture are simulated with appropriate convolution procedures. An application to narrow-line Hα profiles from the central region of the Seyfert galaxy NGC 7469 is presented. The shapes and asymmetries as well as the relative strengths of the Hα lines from different spatial positions can be explained by emission from a nuclear rotating disk of ionized gas, for which the distribution of Hα line emissivity and the rotation curve are derived. Appreciable turbulent line broadening with a Gaussian σ of ~40% of the rotational velocity has to be included to obtain a satisfactory fit.

An Electrochemical Experiment Using an Optically Transparent Thin Layer Electrode

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

DeAngelis, Thomas P.; Heineman, William R.

1976-01-01

Describes a unified experiment in which an optically transparent thin layer electrode is used to illustrate the techniques of thin layer electrochemistry, cyclic voltammetry, controlled potential coulometry, and spectroelectrochemistry. (MLH)

Cubic GaN quantum dots embedded in zinc-blende AlN microdisks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bürger, M.; Kemper, R. M.; Bader, C. A.; Ruth, M.; Declair, S.; Meier, C.; Förstner, J.; As, D. J.

2013-09-01

Microresonators containing quantum dots find application in devices like single photon emitters for quantum information technology as well as low threshold laser devices. We demonstrate the fabrication of 60 nm thin zinc-blende AlN microdisks including cubic GaN quantum dots using dry chemical etching techniques. Scanning electron microscopy analysis reveals the morphology with smooth surfaces of the microdisks. Micro-photoluminescence measurements exhibit optically active quantum dots. Furthermore this is the first report of resonator modes in the emission spectrum of a cubic AlN microdisk.

Characterizations of low-temperature electroluminescence from ZnO nanowire light-emitting arrays on the p-GaN layer.

PubMed

Lu, Tzu-Chun; Ke, Min-Yung; Yang, Sheng-Chieh; Cheng, Yun-Wei; Chen, Liang-Yi; Lin, Guan-Jhong; Lu, Yu-Hsin; He, Jr-Hau; Kuo, Hao-Chung; Huang, JianJang

2010-12-15

Low-temperature electroluminescence from ZnO nanowire light-emitting arrays is reported. By inserting a thin MgO current blocking layer in between ZnO nanowire and p-GaN, high-purity UV light emission at wavelength 398 nm was obtained. As the temperature is decreased, contrary to the typical GaN-based light emitting diodes, our device shows a decrease of optical output intensity. The results are associated with various carrier tunneling processes and frozen MgO defects.

Plasma CVD of hydrogenated boron-carbon thin films from triethylboron

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Imam, Mewlude; Höglund, Carina; Schmidt, Susann; Hall-Wilton, Richard; Birch, Jens; Pedersen, Henrik

2018-01-01

Low-temperature chemical vapor deposition (CVD) of B—C thin films is of importance for neutron voltaics and semiconductor technology. The highly reactive trialkylboranes, with alkyl groups of 1-4 carbon atoms, are a class of precursors that have been less explored for low-temperature CVD of B—C films. Herein, we demonstrate plasma CVD of B—C thin films using triethylboron (TEB) as a single source precursor in an Ar plasma. We show that the film density and B/C ratio increases with increasing plasma power, reaching a density of 2.20 g/cm3 and B/C = 1.7. This is attributed to a more intense energetic bombardment during deposition and more complete dissociation of the TEB molecule in the plasma at higher plasma power. The hydrogen content in the films ranges between 14 and 20 at. %. Optical emission spectroscopy of the plasma shows that BH, CH, C2, and H are the optically active plasma species from TEB. We suggest a plasma chemical model based on β-hydrogen elimination of C2H4 to form BH3, in which BH3 and C2H4 are then dehydrogenated to form BH and C2H2. Furthermore, C2H2 decomposes in the plasma to produce C2 and CH, which together with BH and possibly BH3-x(C2H5)x are the film forming species.

Synthesis and characterization of cobalt doped nickel oxide thin films by spray pyrolysis method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sathisha, D.; Naik, K. Gopalakrishna

2018-05-01

Cobalt (Co) doped nickel oxide (NiO) thin films were deposited on glass substrates at a temperature of about 400 °C by spray pyrolysis method. The effect of Co doping concentration on structural, optical and compositional properties of NiO thin films was investigated. X-ray diffraction result shows that the deposited thin films are polycrystalline in nature. Surface morphologies of the deposited thin films were observed by FESEM and AFM. EDS spectra showed the incorporation of Co dopants in NiO thin films. Optical properties of the grown thin films were characterized by UV-visible spectroscopy. It was found that the optical band gap energy and transmittance of the films decrease with increasing Co doping concentration.

A Study of Tropical thin Cirrus Clouds with Supervised Learning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rodier, S. D.; Hu, Y.; Vaughan, M. A.

2007-12-01

ABSTRACT Accurate knowledge of the temporal frequency and spatial extent of optically thin cirrus is crucial to climate feedback analysis. Current global warming theory asserts that when the atmospheric concentration of CO2 increases, the outgoing longwave radiation at non-window wavelengths is reduced. If the Earth's net radiative balance is to remain stable, ground temperatures must rise in response, thereby increasing thermal emission to space. Current models do not account for subsequent changes in cloud cover, because this aspect of the climate feedback system is so poorly understood. One possible response of the cloud-climate feedback process is an increase in the global occurrence of thin cirrus clouds, driven by the increase in longwave cooling in the upper troposphere that results from higher CO2 concentrations. Exacerbating the difficulty of assessing the situation is the fact that passive remote sensing instruments cannot reliably detect cirrus clouds with optical depths less than ~0.3, because these clouds do not reflect enough sunlight to create a sufficient contrast with the Earth's surface. Now, however, the presence of thin cirrus can for the first time be accurately detected and systematically monitored by the combination of active and passive sensors onboard the CALIPSO satellite. Nevertheless, the data record is still quite limited, as CALIPSO has been in orbit for only 16 months. We have therefore initiated a multi-platform data fusion study to establish a methodology for extending the limited set of CALIPSO measurements to the existing 30-year record of passive remote sensing data, and thus improve our understanding of cloud feedback mechanisms. Using nighttime data from the first 10 days in April 2007 as a training set, we applied a general regression neural network (GRNN) to collocated samples of sea surface temperature (SST) reported by AMSR, brightness temperatures (BT) from the CALIPSO imaging infrared radiometer (IIR), and optical depths (OD) derived from the CALIPSO lidar measurements. The result is an accurate mapping of the optical depths derived from the active sensors to the brightness temperatures computed from the passive sensor measurements. Applying the trained network to this combination of passive sensor parameters, optical depths as small as 0.1 can be reliably retrieved. The relative uncertainties in the retrieval are reasonable, and can be improved significantly by use of a much larger training set.

Helium emission from model flare layers. [of outer solar atmosphere

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kulander, J. I.

1976-01-01

The emission of visible and UV He I and He II line radiation from a plane-parallel model flare layer characterized by electron temperatures of 10,000 to 50,000 K and electron densities of 10 to the 10th power to 10 to the 15th power per cu cm is analyzed by solving the statistical-equilibrium equations for a 30-level He I-II-III system, using parametric representations of the line and continuum radiation fields. The atomic model was chosen to provide accurate solutions for the first two resonance lines of He I and He II as well as for the D3 and 10,830-A lines of He I. Reaction rates are discussed, and sample solutions to the steady-state population equations are given for a generally optically thin gas assumed to be irradiated over 2pi sr by a blackbody spectrum at 6000 K. Specific results are examined for ionization equilibrium, level populations, approximate optical depths of a 1000-km-thick flare layer, line intensities, and upper-level population rates.

Study on the Structural, Morphological and Optical Properties of RF-Sputtered Dysprosium-Doped Barium Tungstate Thin Films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hridya, S.; Kavitha, V. S.; Chalana, S. R.; Reshmi Krishnan, R.; Sreeja Sreedharan, R.; Suresh, S.; Nampoori, V. P. N.; Sankararaman, S.; Prabhu, Radhakrishna; Mahadevan Pillai, V. P.

2017-11-01

Barium tungstate films with different Dy3+ doping concentrations, namely 0 wt.%, 1 wt.%, 3 wt.% and 5 wt.%, are deposited on cleaned quartz substrate by radio frequency magnetron sputtering technique and the prepared films are annealed at a temperature of 700°C. The structural, morphological and optical properties of the annealed films are studied using techniques such as x-ray diffraction (XRD), micro-Raman spectroscopy, field emission scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy and photoluminescence spectroscopy. XRD analysis shows that all the films are well-crystallized in nature with a monoclinic barium tungstate phase. The presence of characteristic modes of the tungstate group in the Raman spectra supports the formation of the barium tungstate phase in the films. Scanning electron microscopic images of the films present a uniform dense distribution of well-defined grains with different sizes. All the doped films present a broad emission in the 390-500 nm region and its intensity increases up to 3 wt.% and thereafter decreases due to usual concentration quenching.

Nanostructured hematite thin films for photoelectrochemical water splitting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maabong, Kelebogile; Machatine, Augusto G. J.; Mwankemwa, Benard S.; Braun, Artur; Bora, Debajeet K.; Toth, Rita; Diale, Mmantsae

2018-04-01

Nanostructured hematite thin films prepared by dip coating technique were investigated for their photoelectrochemical activity for generation of hydrogen from water splitting. Structural, morphological and optical analyses of the doped/undoped films were performed by X-ray diffraction, high resolution field emission-scanning electron microscopy, UV-vis spectrophotometry and Raman spectroscopy. The photoelectrochemical measurements of the films showed enhanced photoresponse and cathodic shift of the onset potential upon Ti doping indicating improved transfer of photoholes at the semiconductor-electrolyte interface. Films doped with 1 at% Ti produced 0.72 mA/cm2 at 1.23 V vs RHE which is 2 times higher than current density for the pure film (0.30 mA/cm2, at 1.23 V vs RHE). Gas chromatography analysis of the films also showed enhanced hydrogen evolution at 1 at% Ti with respect to pure film.

Control of the external photoluminescent quantum yield of emitters coupled to nanoantenna phased arrays

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Guo, Ke; Verschuuren, Marc A.; Lozano, Gabriel

2015-08-21

Optical losses in metals represent the largest limitation to the external quantum yield of emitters coupled to plasmonic antennas. These losses can be at the emission wavelength, but they can be more important at shorter wavelengths, i.e., at the excitation wavelength of the emitters, where the conductivity of metals is usually lower. We present accurate measurements of the absolute external photoluminescent quantum yield of a thin layer of emitting material deposited over a periodic nanoantenna phased array. Emission and absorptance measurements of the sample are performed using a custom-made setup including an integrating sphere and variable angle excitation. The measurementsmore » reveal a strong dependence of the external quantum yield on the angle at which the optical field excites the sample. Such behavior is attributed to the coupling between far-field illumination and near-field excitation mediated by the collective resonances supported by the array. Numerical simulations confirm that the inherent losses associated with the metal can be greatly reduced by selecting an optimum angle of illumination, which boosts the light conversion efficiency in the emitting layer. This combined experimental and numerical characterization of the emission from plasmonic arrays reveals the need to carefully design the illumination to achieve the maximum external quantum yield.« less

Earth Observation

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-07-15

ISS028-E-017123 (16 July 2011) --- Separate atmospheric optical phenomena were captured in this electronic still photograph from the Inernational Space Station. The thin greenish band stretching along the Earth's horizon is airglow; light emitted by the atmosphere from a layer about 30 kilometers thick and about 100 kilometers in altitude. The predominant emission in airglow is the green 5577 Angstrom wavelength light from atomic oxygen atoms. Airglow is always and everywhere present in the atmosphere; it results from the recombination of molecules that have been broken apart by solar radiation during the day. But airglow is so faint that it can only be seen at night by looking "edge on" at the emission layer, such as the view astronauts and cosmonauts have in orbit. The second phenomenon is the appearnce of Aurora Australis.

Organic Light Emitting Diodes with Opal Photonic Crystal Layer and Carbon Nanotube Anode

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ovalle Robles, Raquel; Del Rocio Nava, Maria; Williams, Christopher; Zhang, Mei; Fang, Shaoli; Lee, Sergey; Baughman, Ray; Zakhidov, Anvar

2007-03-01

We report electroluminescence intensity and spectral changes in light emission from organic light emitting diode (OLEDs) structures, which have thin transparent films of opal photonic crystal (PC). The anode in such PC-OLED is laminated on opal layer from free standing optically transparent multiwall carbon nanotubes (T-CNT) sheets made by dry spinning from CVD grown forests. Silica and polystyrene opal films were grown on glass substrates by vertical sedimentation in colloids in thermal baths and the particle size of opal spheres ranges from 300 nm to 450 nm. The use of T-CNTs, (coated by PEDOT-PSS to avoid shorting) as hole injector, allows to eliminate the use of vacuum deposition of metals and permits to achieve tunneling hole injection regime from CNT tips into Alq^3 emission layer

Scalable Indium Phosphide Thin-Film Nanophotonics Platform for Photovoltaic and Photoelectrochemical Devices.

PubMed

Lin, Qingfeng; Sarkar, Debarghya; Lin, Yuanjing; Yeung, Matthew; Blankemeier, Louis; Hazra, Jubin; Wang, Wei; Niu, Shanyuan; Ravichandran, Jayakanth; Fan, Zhiyong; Kapadia, Rehan

2017-05-23

Recent developments in nanophotonics have provided a clear roadmap for improving the efficiency of photonic devices through control over absorption and emission of devices. These advances could prove transformative for a wide variety of devices, such as photovoltaics, photoelectrochemical devices, photodetectors, and light-emitting diodes. However, it is often challenging to physically create the nanophotonic designs required to engineer the optical properties of devices. Here, we present a platform based on crystalline indium phosphide that enables thin-film nanophotonic structures with physical morphologies that are impossible to achieve through conventional state-of-the-art material growth techniques. Here, nanostructured InP thin films have been demonstrated on non-epitaxial alumina inverted nanocone (i-cone) substrates via a low-cost and scalable thin-film vapor-liquid-solid growth technique. In this process, indium films are first evaporated onto the i-cone structures in the desired morphology, followed by a high-temperature step that causes a phase transformation of the indium into indium phosphide, preserving the original morphology of the deposited indium. Through this approach, a wide variety of nanostructured film morphologies are accessible using only control over evaporation process variables. Critically, the as-grown nanotextured InP thin films demonstrate excellent optoelectronic properties, suggesting this platform is promising for future high-performance nanophotonic devices.

The Evolution of Fabricated Gold Thin Films to Nano-Micro Particles Under Thermal Annealing Process

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hajivaliei, Mahdi; Nazari, Saeed

2016-06-01

Gold (Au) thin films with thickness of 35nm were prepared by electron beam deposition onto flat glass substrates under high vacuum (5.3×10-3Pa) condition and they were annealed in the range of 573-873 K for 1 and 2h in atmospheric pressure. The influence of the annealing temperature on the evolution of Au thin film to nano-micro particles was studied. Moreover, the basic properties of the films, namely morphological, structural and optical were investigated. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis revealed that the Au thin films were cubic structure phase with lattice parameter around a=4.0786Å. The most preferential orientation is along (111) planes for all Au films. The lattice parameter and grain size in the films were calculated by X-ray patterns and correlated with annealing temperatures. The obtained results of ultraviolet-visible spectrometry (UV-Vis) indicate that with increasing annealing temperature, the surface plasmon resonance peak of gold nanocrystallite will disappear which implies the size of particles are grown. Field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) results show that the prepared gold thin films have been converted to nano-micro gold particles in different annealing temperatures. These results lead to controlling the size of produced nanocrystallite.

Characterization of ion-assisted induced absorption in A-Si thin-films used for multivariate optical computing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nayak, Aditya B.; Price, James M.; Dai, Bin; Perkins, David; Chen, Ding Ding; Jones, Christopher M.

2015-06-01

Multivariate optical computing (MOC), an optical sensing technique for analog calculation, allows direct and robust measurement of chemical and physical properties of complex fluid samples in high-pressure/high-temperature (HP/HT) downhole environments. The core of this MOC technology is the integrated computational element (ICE), an optical element with a wavelength-dependent transmission spectrum designed to allow the detector to respond sensitively and specifically to the analytes of interest. A key differentiator of this technology is it uses all of the information present in the broadband optical spectrum to determine the proportion of the analyte present in a complex fluid mixture. The detection methodology is photometric in nature; therefore, this technology does not require a spectrometer to measure and record a spectrum or a computer to perform calculations on the recorded optical spectrum. The integrated computational element is a thin-film optical element with a specific optical response function designed for each analyte. The optical response function is achieved by fabricating alternating layers of high-index (a-Si) and low-index (SiO2) thin films onto a transparent substrate (BK7 glass) using traditional thin-film manufacturing processes (e.g., ion-assisted e-beam vacuum deposition). A proprietary software and process are used to control the thickness and material properties, including the optical constants of the materials during deposition to achieve the desired optical response function. The ion-assisted deposition is useful for controlling the densification of the film, stoichiometry, and material optical constants as well as to achieve high deposition growth rates and moisture-stable films. However, the ion-source can induce undesirable absorption in the film; and subsequently, modify the optical constants of the material during the ramp-up and stabilization period of the e-gun and ion-source, respectively. This paper characterizes the unwanted absorption in the a-Si thin-film using advanced thin-film metrology methods, including spectroscopic ellipsometry and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. The resulting analysis identifies a fundamental mechanism contributing to this absorption and a method for minimizing and accounting for the unwanted absorption in the thin-film such that the exact optical response function can be achieved.

Manufacturing of glassy thin shell for adaptive optics: results achieved

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Poutriquet, F.; Rinchet, A.; Carel, J.-L.; Leplan, H.; Ruch, E.; Geyl, R.; Marque, G.

2012-07-01

Glassy thin shells are key components for the development of adaptive optics and are part of future & innovative projects such as ELT. However, manufacturing thin shells is a real challenge. Even though optical requirements for the front face - or optical face - are relaxed compared to conventional passive mirrors, requirements concerning thickness uniformity are difficult to achieve. In addition, process has to be completely re-defined as thin mirror generates new manufacturing issues. In particular, scratches and digs requirement is more difficult as this could weaken the shell, handling is also an important issue due to the fragility of the mirror. Sagem, through REOSC program, has recently manufactured different types of thin shells in the frame of European projects: E-ELT M4 prototypes and VLT Deformable Secondary Mirror (VLT DSM).

Influences of annealing temperature on sprayed CuFeO2 thin films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abdelwahab, H. M.; Ratep, A.; Abo Elsoud, A. M.; Boshta, M.; Osman, M. B. S.

2018-06-01

Delafossite CuFeO2 thin films were successfully prepared onto quartz substrates using simple spray pyrolysis technique. Post annealing under nitrogen atmosphere for 2 h was necessary to form delafossite CuFeO2 phase. The effect of alteration in annealing temperature (TA) 800, 850 and 900 °C was study on structural, morphology and optical properties. The XRD results for thin film annealed at TA = 850 °C show single phase CuFeO2 with rhombohedral crystal system and R 3 bar m space group with preferred orientation along (0 1 2). The prepared copper iron oxide thin films have an optical transmission ranged ∼40% in the visible region. The optical direct optical band gap of the prepared thin films was ranged ∼2.9 eV.

Optical and electro-optic anisotropy of epitaxial PZT thin films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhu, Minmin; Du, Zehui; Jing, Lin; Yoong Tok, Alfred Iing; Tong Teo, Edwin Hang

2015-07-01

Strong optical and electro-optic (EO) anisotropy has been investigated in ferroelectric Pb(Zr0.48Ti0.52)O3 thin films epitaxially grown on Nb-SrTiO3 (001), (011), and (111) substrates using magnetron sputtering. The refractive index, electro-optic, and ferroelectric properties of the samples demonstrate the significant dependence on the growth orientation. The linear electro-optic coefficients of the (001), (011), and (111)-oriented PZT thin films were 270.8, 198.8, and 125.7 pm/V, respectively. Such remarkable anisotropic EO behaviors have been explained according to the structure correlation between the orientation dependent distribution, spontaneous polarization, epitaxial strain, and domain pattern.

The Evolving Polarized Jet of Black Hole Candidate Swift J1745-26

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Curran, P. A.; Coriat, M.; Miller-Jones, J. C. A.; Armstrong, R. P.; Edwards, P. G.; Sivakoff, G. R.; Woudt, P.; Altamirano, D.; Belloni, T. M.; Corbel, S.;

Optical instruments synergy in determination of optical depth of thin clouds

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Viviana Vlăduţescu, Daniela; Schwartz, Stephen E.; Huang, Dong

2018-04-01

Optically thin clouds have a strong radiative effect and need to be represented accurately in climate models. Cloud optical depth of thin clouds was retrieved using high resolution digital photography, lidar, and a radiative transfer model. The Doppler Lidar was operated at 1.5 μm, minimizing return from Rayleigh scattering, emphasizing return from aerosols and clouds. This approach examined cloud structure on scales 3 to 5 orders of magnitude finer than satellite products, opening new avenues for examination of cloud structure and evolution.

Optical Instruments Synergy in Determination of Optical Depth of Thin Clouds

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Vladutescu, Daniela V.; Schwartz, Stephen E.

Optically thin clouds have a strong radiative effect and need to be represented accurately in climate models. Cloud optical depth of thin clouds was retrieved using high resolution digital photography, lidar, and a radiative transfer model. The Doppler Lidar was operated at 1.5 μm, minimizing return from Rayleigh scattering, emphasizing return from aerosols and clouds. This approach examined cloud structure on scales 3 to 5 orders of magnitude finer than satellite products, opening new avenues for examination of cloud structure and evolution.

Influence of Y doping concentration on the properties of nanostructured MxZn1-xO (M=Y) thin film deposited by nebulizer spray pyrolysis technique

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mariappan, R.; Ponnuswamy, V.; Chandra Bose, A.; Suresh, R.; Ragavendar, M.

2014-09-01

Yttrium doped Zinc Oxide (YxZn1-xO) thin films deposited at a substrate temperature 400 °C. The effect of substrate temperature on the structural, surface morphology, compositional, optical and electrical properties of YxZn1-xO thin films was studied. X-ray diffraction studies show that all films are polycrystalline in nature with hexagonal crystal structure having highly textured (002) plane parallel to the surface of the substrate. The structural parameters, such as lattice constants (a and c), crystallite size (D), dislocation density (δ), microstrain (σ) and texture coefficient were calculated for different yttrium doping concentrations (x). High resolution scanning electron microscopy measurements reveal that the surface morphology of the films change from platelet like grains to hexagonal structure with grain size increase due to the yttrium doping. Energy dispersive spectroscopy confirms the presence of Y, Zn and O elements in the films prepared. Optical studies showed that all samples have a strong optical transmittance higher than 70% in the visible range. A slight shift of the absorption edge towards the large wavelengths was observed as the Y doping concentration increased. This result shows that the band gap is slightly decreased from 3.10 to 2.05 eV with increase of the yttrium doping concentrations (up to 7.5%) and then slightly increased. Room temperature PL measurements were done and the band-to-band emission energies of films were determined and reported. The complex impedance of the 10%Y doped ZnO film shows two distinguished semicircles and the diameter of the arcs got decreased in diameter as the temperature increases from 70 to 175 °C.

Relationship Between Optic Nerve Appearance and Retinal Nerve Fiber Layer Thickness as Explored with Spectral Domain Optical Coherence Tomography

PubMed Central

Aleman, Tomas S.; Huang, Jiayan; Garrity, Sean T.; Carter, Stuart B.; Aleman, Wendy D.; Ying, Gui-shuang; Tamhankar, Madhura A.

2014-01-01

Purpose To study the relationship between the appearance of the optic nerve and the retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness determined by spectral domain optical coherence tomography (OCT). Methods Records from patients with spectral domain-OCT imaging in a neuro-ophthalmology practice were reviewed. Eyes with glaucoma/glaucoma suspicion, macular/optic nerve edema, pseudophakia, and with refractive errors > 6D were excluded. Optic nerve appearance by slit lamp biomicroscopy was related to the RNFL thickness by spectral domain-OCT and to visual field results. Results Ninety-one patients (176 eyes; mean age: 49 ± 15 years) were included. Eighty-three eyes (47%) showed optic nerve pallor; 89 eyes (50.6%) showed RNFL thinning (sectoral or average peripapillary). Average peripapillary RNFL thickness in eyes with pallor (mean ± SD = 76 ± 17 μm) was thinner compared to eyes without pallor (91 ± 14 μm, P < 0.001). Optic nerve pallor predicted RNFL thinning with a sensitivity of 69% and a specificity of 75%. Optic nerve appearance predicted RNFL thinning (with a sensitivity and specificity of 81%) when RNFL had thinned by ∼ 40%. Most patients with pallor had RNFL thinning with (66%) or without (25%) visual field loss; the remainder had normal RNFL and fields (5%) or with visual field abnormalities (4%). Conclusions Optic nerve pallor as a predictor of RNFL thinning showed fair sensitivity and specificity, although it is optimally sensitive/specific only when substantial RNFL loss has occurred. Translational Relevance Finding an acceptable relationship between the optic nerve appearance by ophthalmoscopy and spectral domain-OCT RNFL measures will help the clinician's interpretation of the information provided by this technology, which is gaining momentum in neuro-ophthalmic research. PMID:25374773

Metal-Coated Optical Fibers for High Temperature Applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zeakes, Jason; Murphy, Kent; Claus, Richard; Greene, Jonathan; Tran, Tuan

1996-01-01

This poster will highlight on-going research at the Virginia Tech Fiber & Electro-Optics Research Center (FEORC) in the area of thin films on optical fibers. Topics will include the sputter deposition of metals and metal; alloys onto optical fiber and fiber optic sensors for innovative applications. Specific information will be available on thin film fiber optic hydrogen sensors, corrosion sensors, and metal-coated optical fiber for high temperature aerospace applications.

Transparent conducting ZnO-CdO mixed oxide thin films grown by the sol-gel method.

PubMed

Pathak, Trilok K; Rajput, Jeevitesh K; Kumar, Vinod; Purohit, L P; Swart, H C; Kroon, R E

2017-02-01

Mixed oxides of zinc and cadmium with different proportions were deposited on ordinary glass substrates using the sol-gel spin coating method under optimized deposition conditions using zinc acetate dihydrate and cadmium acetate dihydrate as precursors. X-ray diffraction patterns confirmed the polycrystalline nature of the films. A combination of cubic CdO and hexagonal wurtzite ZnO phases was observed. The oxidation states of Zn, Cd and O in the deposited films were determined by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopic studies. Surface morphology was studied by scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy. The compositional analysis of the thin films was studied by secondary ion mass spectroscopy. The transmittance of the thin films was measured in the range 300-800nm and the optical bandgap was calculated using Tauc's plot method. The bandgap decreased from 3.15eV to 2.15eV with increasing CdO content. The light emission properties of the ZnO:CdO thin films were studied by photoluminescence spectra recorded at room temperature. The current-voltage characteristics were also assessed and showed ohmic behaviour. The resistance decreased with increasing CdO content. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Potential Nighttime Contamination of CERES Clear-sky Field of View by Optically Thin Cirrus during the CRYSTAL-FACE Campaign

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lee, Yong-Keun; Yang, Ping; Hu, Yongxiang; Baum, Bryan A.; Loeb, Norman G.; Gao, Bo-Cai

2006-01-01

We investigate the outgoing broadband longwave (LW, 5 to approx. 200 microns) and window (WIN, 8 to approx. 12 microns) channel radiances at the top of atmosphere (TOA) under clear-sky conditions, using data acquired by the Cloud and the Earth s Radiant Energy System (CERES) and Moderate-Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) instruments onboard the NASA Terra satellite platform. In this study, detailed analyses are performed on the CERES Single Scanner Footprint TOA/Surface Fluxes and Clouds product to understand the radiative effect of thin cirrus. The data are acquired over the Florida area during the Cirrus Regional Study of Tropical Anvils and Cirrus Layers Florida Area Cirrus Experiment (CRYSTAL-FACE) field program. Of particular interest is the anisotropy associated with the radiation field. Measured CERES broadband radiances are compared to those obtained from rigorous radiative transfer simulations. Analysis of results from this comparison indicates that the simulated radiances tend to be larger than their measured counterparts, with differences ranging from 2.1% to 8.3% for the LW band and from 1.7% to 10.6% for the WIN band. The averaged difference in radiance is approximately 4% for both the LW and WIN channels. A potential cause for the differences could be the presence of thin cirrus (i.e., optically thin ice clouds with visible optical thicknesses smaller than approximately 0.3). The detection and quantitative analysis of these thin cirrus clouds are challenging even with sophisticated multispectral instruments. While large differences in radiance between the CERES observations and the theoretical calculations are found, the corresponding difference in the anisotropic factors is very small (0.2%). Furthermore, sensitivity studies show that the influence due to a 1 K bias of the surface temperature on the errors of the LW and WIN channel radiances is of the same order as that associated with a 2% bias of the surface emissivity. The LW and WIN errors associated with a 5% bias of water vapor amount in the lower atmosphere in conjunction with a 50% bias of water vapor amount in the upper atmosphere is similar to that of a 1 K bias of the vertical temperature profile. Even with the uncertainties considered for these various factors, the simulated LW and WIN radiances are still larger than the observed radiances if thin cirrus clouds are excluded.

Observations of Martian ice clouds by the Mars Global Surveyor Thermal Emission Spectrometer: The first Martian year

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pearl, John C.; Smith, Michael D.; Conrath, Barney J.; Bandfield, Joshua L.; Christensen, Philip R.

2001-06-01

Successful operation of the Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft, beginning in September 1997 (Ls=184°), has permitted extensive observations over more than a Martian year. Initially, thin (normal optical depth <0.06 at 825 cm-1) ice clouds and hazes were widespread, showing a distinct latitudinal gradient. With the onset of a regional dust storm at Ls=224°, ice clouds vanished in the southern hemisphere, to reappear gradually after the decay of the storm. The zonally averaged cloud opacities show little difference between the beginning and end of the first Martian year. A broad low-latitude cloud belt with considerable longitudinal structure was present in early northern summer. Apparently characteristic of the northern summer season, it vanished between Ls=140° and 150°. The latitudinal extent of this feature is apparently controlled by the ascending branch of the Hadley circulation. The most opaque clouds (optical depth ~0.6) were found above the summits of major volcanic features; these showed spatial structure possibly associated with wave activity. Variety among low-lying late morning clouds suggests localized differences in circulation and microclimates. Limb observations showed extensive optically thin (optical depth <0.04) stratiform clouds at altitudes up to 55 km. Considerable latitude and altitude variations were evident in ice clouds in early northern spring (Ls=25°) near 30 km, thin clouds extended from just north of the equator to ~45°N, nearly to the north polar vortex. A water ice haze was present in the north polar night (Ls=30°) at altitudes up to 40 km. Because little dust was present this probably provided heterogeneous nucleation sites for the formation of CO2 clouds and snowfall at altitudes below ~20 km, where atmospheric temperatures dropped to the CO2 condensation point. The relatively invariant spectral shape of the water ice cloud feature over space and time indicates that ice particle radii are generally between 1 and 4 μm.

Effect of temperature on optical properties of PMMA/SiO2 composite thin film

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Soni, Gyanesh; Srivastava, Subodh; Soni, Purushottam; Kalotra, Pankaj; Vijay, Y. K.

2018-05-01

Effect of temperature on PMMA/SiO2 composites thin films were investigated. Nanocomposite flexible thin films of 60 µm thicknesses with different loading of SiO2 nanoparticles were prepared using solution casting method. SEM images show that SiO2 nanoparticles are distributed uniformly in PMMA matrix without any lumps on the surface, and PMMA/SiO2 nano composite thin films had a smoother and regular morphology. UV-Vis and optical band gap measurements revealed that both the concentration of SiO2 nanoparticles and temperature affect the optical properties of the composite thin film in comparison to the pure PMMA film.

Thin glass based packaging and photonic single-mode waveguide integration by ion-exchange technology on board and module level

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brusberg, Lars; Lang, Günter; Schröder, Henning

2011-01-01

The proposed novel packaging approach merges micro-system packaging and glass integrated optics. It provides 3D optical single-mode intra system links to bridge the gap between novel photonic integrated circuits and the glass fibers for inter system interconnects. We introduce our hybrid 3D photonic packaging approach based on thin glass substrates with planar integrated optical single-mode waveguides for fiber-to-chip and chip-to-chip links. Optical mirrors and lenses provide optical mode matching for photonic IC assemblies and optical fiber interconnects. Thin glass is commercially available in panel and wafer formats and characterizes excellent optical and high-frequency properties as reviewed in the paper. That makes it perfect for micro-system packaging. The adopted planar waveguide process based on ion-exchange technology is capable for high-volume manufacturing. This ion-exchange process and the optical propagation are described in detail for thin glass substrates. An extensive characterization of all basic circuit elements like straight and curved waveguides, couplers and crosses proves the low attenuation of the optical circuit elements.

Hubble Space Telescope Eclipse Observations of the Nova Like Cataclysmic Variable UX Ursae Majoris

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Knigge, Christian; Long, Knox S.; Wade, Richard A.; Baptista, Raymundo; Horne, Keith; Hubeny, Ivan; Rutten, Rene G. M.

1998-01-01

We present and analyze Hubble Space Telescope observations of the eclipsing nova-like cataclysmic variable UX UMa obtained with the Faint Object Spectrograph. Two eclipses each were observed with the G160L grating (covering the ultraviolet waveband) in 1994 August and with the PRISM (covering the near-ultraviolet to near-infrared) in November of the same year. The system was about 50% brighter in November than in August, which, if due to a change in the accretion rate, indicates a fairly substantial increase in Mass accretion by about 50%. The eclipse light curves are qualitatively consistent with the gradual occultation of an accretion disk with a radially decreasing temperature distribution. The light curves also exhibit asymmetries about mideclipse that are likely due to a bright spot at the disk edge. Bright-spot spectra have been constructed by differencing the mean spectra observed at pre- and posteclipse orbital phases. These difference spectra contain ultraviolet absorption lines and show the Balmer jump in emission. This suggests that part of the bright spot may be optically thin in the continuum and vertically extended enough to veil the inner disk and/or the outflow from UX UMa in some spectral lines. Model disk spectra constructed as ensembles of stellar atmospheres provide poor descriptions of the observed posteclipse spectra, despite the fact that UX UMa's light should be dominated by the disk at this time. Suitably scaled single temperature model stellar atmospheres with T(sub eff) approximately equals 12,500-14,500 K actually provide a better match to both the ultraviolet and optical posteclipse spectra. Evidently, great care must be taken in attempts to derive accretion rates from comparisons of disk models to observations. One way to reconcile disk models with the observed posteclipse spectra is to postulate the presence of a significant amount of optically thin material in the system. Such an optically thin component might be associated with the transition region ("chromosphere") between the disk photosphere and the fast wind from the system whose presence has been suggested by Knigge and Drew. In any event, the wind/ chromosphere is likely to be the region in which many, if not most, of the UV lines are formed. This is clear from the plethora of emission lines that appear in the mideclipse spectra, some of which appear as absorption features in spectra taken at out-of-eclipse orbital phases.

Nanostructured pyronin Y thin films as a new organic semiconductor: Linear/nonlinear optics, band gap and dielectric properties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zahran, H. Y.; Yahia, I. S.; Alamri, F. H.

2017-05-01

Pyronin Y dye (PY) is a kind of xanthene derivatives. Thin films of pyronin Y were deposited onto highly cleaned glass substrates using low-cost/spin coating technique. The structure properties of pyronin Y thin films with different thicknesses were investigated by using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and atomic force microscope (AFM). PY thin films for all the studied thicknesses have an amorphous structure supporting the short range order of the grain size. AFM supports the nanostructure with spherical/clusters morphologies of the investigated thin films. The optical constants of pyronin Y thin films for various thicknesses were studied by using UV-vis-NIR spectrophotometer in the wavelength range 350-2500 nm. The transmittance T(λ), reflectance R(λ) spectral and absorbance (abs(λ)) were obtained for all film thicknesses at room temperature and the normal light incident. These films showed a high transmittance in the wide scale wavelengths. For different thicknesses of the studied thin films, the optical band gaps were determined and their values around 2 eV. Real and imaginary dielectric constants, dissipation factor and the nonlinear optical parameters were calculated in the wavelengths to the range 300-2500 nm. The pyronin Y is a new organic semiconductor with a good optical absorption in UV-vis regions and it is suitable for nonlinear optical applications.

The soft x-ray properties of a complete sample of optically selected quasars. 1: First results

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Laor, Ari; Fiore, Fabrizio; Elvis, Martin; Wilkes, Belinda J.; Mcdowell, Jonathan C.

1994-01-01

We present the results of ROSAT position sensitive proportional counter (PSPC) observations of 10 quasars. These objects are part of our ROSAT program to observe a complete sample of optically selected quasars. This sample includes all 23 quasars from the bright quasar survey with a redshift z less than or = 0.400 and a Galactic H I column density N(sup Gal sub H I) less than 1.9 x 10(exp 20)/sq cm. These selection criteria, combined with the high sensitivity and improved energy resolution of the PSPC, allow us to determine the soft (approximately 0.2-2 keV) X-ray spectra of quasars with about an order of magnitude higher precision compared with earlier soft X-ray observations. The following main results are obtained: Strong correlations are suggested between the soft X-ray spectral slope alpha(sub x) and the following emission line parameters: H beta Full Width at Half Maximum (FWHM), L(sub O III), and the Fe II/H beta flux ratio. These correlations imply the following: (1) The quasar's environment is likely to be optically thin down to approximately 0.2 keV. (2) In most objects alpha(sub x) varies by less than approximately 10% on timescales shorter than a few years. (3) alpha(sub x) might be a useful absolute luminosity indicator in quasars. (4) The Galactic He I and H I column densities are well correlated. Most spectra are well characterized by a simple power law, with no evidence for either significant absorption excess or emission excess at low energies, to within approximately 30%. We find mean value of alpha(sub x) = -1.50 +/- 0.40, which is consistent with other ROSAT observations of quasars. However, this average is significantly steeper than suggested by earlier soft X-ray observations of the Einstein IPC. The 0.3 keV flux in our sample can be predicted to better than a factor of 2 once the 1.69 micrometer(s) flux is given. This implies that the X-ray variability power spectra of quasars flattens out between f approximately 10(exp -5) and f approximately 10(exp -8) Hz. A steep alpha(sub x) is mostly associated with a weak hard X-ray component, relative to the near-IR and optical emission, rather than a strong soft excess, and the scatter in the normalized 0.3 keV flux is significantly smaller than the scatter in the normalized 2 keV flux. This argues against either thin or thick accretion disks as the origin of the soft X-ray emission. Further possible implications of the results found here are briefly discussed.

Effects of photon escape on diagnostic diagrams for H II regions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Giammanco, C.; Beckman, J. E.; Cedrés, B.

2005-08-01

In this article we first outline the mounting evidence that a significant fraction of the ionizing photons emitted by OB stars within H ii regions escape from their immediate surroundings, i.e from what is normally defined as the H ii region, and explain how an H ii region structure containing high density contrast inhomogeneities facilitates this escape. Next we describe sets of models containing inhomogeneities which are used to predict tracks in the commonly used diagnostic diagrams (based on ratios of emission lines) whose only independent variable is the photon escape fraction, ξ. We show that the tracks produced by the models in two of the most cited of these diagrams conform well to the distribution of observed data points, with the models containing optically thick inhomogeneities (“CLUMPY” models) yielding somewhat better agreement than those with optically thin inhomogeneities (“FF” models). We show how variations in the ionization parameter U, derived from emission line ratios, could be due to photon escape, such that for a given region from which 50% of its ionizing photons leak out we would derive the same value of U as for a region with no photon escape but with an input ionizing flux almost an order of magnitude higher. This effect will occur whether the individual inhomogeneities are optically thick or thin. Photon escape will also lead to a change in the derived value of the radiation hardness parameter, and this change differs significantly between models with optically thin and optically thick clumps. Using a rather wide range of assumptions about the filling factor of dense clumps we find, for a selected set of regions observed in M 51 by Díaz et al. (1991) an extreme limiting range of computed photon escape fractions between near zero and 90%, but with the most plausible values ranging between 30% and 50%. We show, using oxygen as the test element, that models with different assumptions about the gas inhomogeneity will tend to give variations in the abundance values derived from diagnostic diagrams, but do not claim here to have a fully developed set of diagnostic tools to improve abundance determinations made in this way. We do present an important step towards an eventual improvement in abundance determinations: the combination of line ratios with the absolute Hα luminosity of a given H ii region, which allows us to determine the photon escape fraction, and hence resolve the degeneracy between U and ξ. We use observational data of this type show that a large set of H ii regions in M 101 observed by Cedrés & Cepa (2002) all show significant photon escape with values of ξ ranging up to 60% in the “leakiest” cases.

Fast Industrial Inspection of Optical Thin Film Using Optical Coherence Tomography

PubMed Central

Shirazi, Muhammad Faizan; Park, Kibeom; Wijesinghe, Ruchire Eranga; Jeong, Hyosang; Han, Sangyeob; Kim, Pilun; Jeon, Mansik; Kim, Jeehyun

2016-01-01

An application of spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) was demonstrated for a fast industrial inspection of an optical thin film panel. An optical thin film sample similar to a liquid crystal display (LCD) panel was examined. Two identical SD-OCT systems were utilized for parallel scanning of a complete sample in half time. Dual OCT inspection heads were utilized for transverse (fast) scanning, while a stable linear motorized translational stage was used for lateral (slow) scanning. The cross-sectional and volumetric images of an optical thin film sample were acquired to detect the defects in glass and other layers that are difficult to observe using visual inspection methods. The rapid inspection enabled by this setup led to the early detection of product defects on the manufacturing line, resulting in a significant improvement in the quality assurance of industrial products. PMID:27690043

Thin film ferroelectric electro-optic memory

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Thakoor, Sarita (Inventor); Thakoor, Anilkumar P. (Inventor)

1993-01-01

An electrically programmable, optically readable data or memory cell is configured from a thin film of ferroelectric material, such as PZT, sandwiched between a transparent top electrode and a bottom electrode. The output photoresponse, which may be a photocurrent or photo-emf, is a function of the product of the remanent polarization from a previously applied polarization voltage and the incident light intensity. The cell is useful for analog and digital data storage as well as opto-electric computing. The optical read operation is non-destructive of the remanent polarization. The cell provides a method for computing the product of stored data and incident optical data by applying an electrical signal to store data by polarizing the thin film ferroelectric material, and then applying an intensity modulated optical signal incident onto the thin film material to generate a photoresponse therein related to the product of the electrical and optical signals.

Fabrication and characterization of lithographically patterned and optically transparent anodic aluminum Oxide (AAO) nanostructure thin film.

PubMed

He, Yuan; Li, Xiang; Que, Long

2012-10-01

Optically transparent anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) nanostructure thin film has been successfully fabricated from lithographically patterned aluminum on indium tin oxide (ITO) glass substrates for the first time, indicating the feasibility to integrate the AAO nanostructures with microdevices or microfluidics for a variety of applications. Both one-step and two-step anodization processes using sulfuric acid and oxalic acid have been utilized for fabricating the AAO nanostructure thin film. The optical properties of the fabricated AAO nanostructure thin film have been evaluated and analyzed.

ALMA Observations of Polarization from Dust Scattering in the IM Lup Protoplanetary Disk

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hull, Charles L. H.; Yang, Haifeng; Li, Zhi-Yun; Kataoka, Akimasa; Stephens, Ian W.; Andrews, Sean; Bai, Xuening; Cleeves, L. Ilsedore; Hughes, A. Meredith; Looney, Leslie; Pérez, Laura M.; Wilner, David

2018-06-01

We present 870 μm ALMA observations of polarized dust emission toward the Class II protoplanetary disk IM Lup. We find that the orientation of the polarized emission is along the minor axis of the disk, and that the value of the polarization fraction increases steadily toward the center of the disk, reaching a peak value of ∼1.1%. All of these characteristics are consistent with models of self-scattering of submillimeter-wave emission from an optically thin inclined disk. The distribution of the polarization position angles across the disk reveals that, while the average orientation is along the minor axis, the polarization orientations show a significant spread in angles; this can also be explained by models of pure scattering. We compare the polarization with that of the Class I/II source HL Tau. A comparison of cuts of the polarization fraction across the major and minor axes of both sources reveals that IM Lup has a substantially higher polarization fraction than HL Tau toward the center of the disk. This enhanced polarization fraction could be due a number of factors, including higher optical depth in HL Tau, or scattering by larger dust grains in the more evolved IM Lup disk. However, models yield similar maximum grain sizes for both HL Tau (72 μm) and IM Lup (61 μm, this work). This reveals continued tension between grain-size estimates from scattering models and from models of the dust emission spectrum, which find that the bulk of the (unpolarized) emission in disks is most likely due to millimeter-sized (or even centimeter-sized) grains.

90 GHz and 150 GHz Observations of the Orion M42 Region. A Submillimeter to Radio Analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dicker, S. R.; Mason, B. S.; Korngut, P. M.; Cotton, W. D.; Compiegne, M.; Devlin, M. J.; Martin, P. G.; Ade, P. A. R; Benford, D. J.; Irwin, K. D.;

The properties of RE-TM magneto-optical films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Z. Y.; Miao, X. S.; Zhu, P.; Hu, Y. S.; Wan, D. F.; Dai, D. W.; Chen, S. B.; Lin, G. Q.

1992-09-01

In this paper, the magnetic, magneto-optical and galvonomagnetic properties, and their temperature dependence for LRE-TM SmCo, SmCoDy and HRE-TM TbFeCo magneto-optical films as high density recording media prepared by rf magnetron sputtering or evaporation are reported. By adding Dy to SmCo thin film, the SmCoDy thin film is more suitable for magneto-optical recording, its domain size being below 0.63 μm. The Kerr enhancement and corrosion protective effects of AIN and AlSiN for optimum design of the multi-layer structure of magneto-optical disk are described. The instruments of measuring the magneto-optical Kerr effect and magneto-optical recording domain characteristics of thin films are reviewed.

Optical and structural properties of cobalt-permalloy slanted columnar heterostructure thin films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sekora, Derek; Briley, Chad; Schubert, Mathias; Schubert, Eva

2017-11-01

Optical and structural properties of sequential Co-column-NiFe-column slanted columnar heterostructure thin films with an Al2O3 passivation coating are reported. Electron-beam evaporated glancing angle deposition is utilized to deposit the sequential multiple-material slanted columnar heterostructure thin films. Mueller matrix generalized spectroscopic ellipsometry data is analyzed with a best-match model approach employing the anisotropic Bruggeman effective medium approximation formalism to determine bulk-like and anisotropic optical and structural properties of the individual Co and NiFe slanted columnar material sub-layers. Scanning electron microscopy is applied to image the Co-NiFe sequential growth properties and to verify the results of the ellipsometric analysis. Comparisons to single-material slanted columnar thin films and optically bulk solid thin films are presented and discussed. We find that the optical and structural properties of each material sub-layer of the sequential slanted columnar heterostructure film are distinct from each other and resemble those of their respective single-material counterparts.

Measurements of resonant scattering in the Perseus Cluster core with Hitomi SXS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hitomi Collaboration; Aharonian, Felix; Akamatsu, Hiroki; Akimoto, Fumie; Allen, Steven W.; Angelini, Lorella; Audard, Marc; Awaki, Hisamitsu; Axelsson, Magnus; Bamba, Aya; Bautz, Marshall W.; Blandford, Roger; Brenneman, Laura W.; Brown, Gregory V.; Bulbul, Esra; Cackett, Edward M.; Chernyakova, Maria; Chiao, Meng P.; Coppi, Paolo S.; Costantini, Elisa; de Plaa, Jelle; de Vries, Cor P.; den Herder, Jan-Willem; Done, Chris; Dotani, Tadayasu; Ebisawa, Ken; Eckart, Megan E.; Enoto, Teruaki; Ezoe, Yuichiro; Fabian, Andrew C.; Ferrigno, Carlo; Foster, Adam R.; Fujimoto, Ryuichi; Fukazawa, Yasushi; Furukawa, Maki; Furuzawa, Akihiro; Galeazzi, Massimiliano; Gallo, Luigi C.; Gandhi, Poshak; Giustini, Margherita; Goldwurm, Andrea; Gu, Liyi; Guainazzi, Matteo; Haba, Yoshito; Hagino, Kouichi; Hamaguchi, Kenji; Harrus, Ilana M.; Hatsukade, Isamu; Hayashi, Katsuhiro; Hayashi, Takayuki; Hayashida, Kiyoshi; Hiraga, Junko S.; Hornschemeier, Ann; Hoshino, Akio; Hughes, John P.; Ichinohe, Yuto; Iizuka, Ryo; Inoue, Hajime; Inoue, Yoshiyuki; Ishida, Manabu; Ishikawa, Kumi; Ishisaki, Yoshitaka; Iwai, Masachika; Kaastra, Jelle; Kallman, Tim; Kamae, Tsuneyoshi; Kataoka, Jun; Katsuda, Satoru; Kawai, Nobuyuki; Kelley, Richard L.; Kilbourne, Caroline A.; Kitaguchi, Takao; Kitamoto, Shunji; Kitayama, Tetsu; Kohmura, Takayoshi; Kokubun, Motohide; Koyama, Katsuji; Koyama, Shu; Kretschmar, Peter; Krimm, Hans A.; Kubota, Aya; Kunieda, Hideyo; Laurent, Philippe; Lee, Shiu-Hang; Leutenegger, Maurice A.; Limousin, Olivier O.; Loewenstein, Michael; Long, Knox S.; Lumb, David; Madejski, Greg; Maeda, Yoshitomo; Maier, Daniel; Makishima, Kazuo; Markevitch, Maxim; Matsumoto, Hironori; Matsushita, Kyoko; McCammon, Dan; McNamara, Brian R.; Mehdipour, Missagh; Miller, Eric D.; Miller, Jon M.; Mineshige, Shin; Mitsuda, Kazuhisa; Mitsuishi, Ikuyuki; Miyazawa, Takuya; Mizuno, Tsunefumi; Mori, Hideyuki; Mori, Koji; Mukai, Koji; Murakami, Hiroshi; Mushotzky, Richard F.; Nakagawa, Takao; Nakajima, Hiroshi; Nakamori, Takeshi; Nakashima, Shinya; Nakazawa, Kazuhiro; Nobukawa, Kumiko K.; Nobukawa, Masayoshi; Noda, Hirofumi; Odaka, Hirokazu; Ogorzalek, Anna; Ohashi, Takaya; Ohno, Masanori; Okajima, Takashi; Ota, Naomi; Ozaki, Masanobu; Paerels, Frits; Paltani, Stéphane; Petre, Robert; Pinto, Ciro; Porter, Frederick S.; Pottschmidt, Katja; Reynolds, Christopher S.; Safi-Harb, Samar; Saito, Shinya; Sakai, Kazuhiro; Sasaki, Toru; Sato, Goro; Sato, Kosuke; Sato, Rie; Sawada, Makoto; Schartel, Norbert; Serlemtsos, Peter J.; Seta, Hiromi; Shidatsu, Megumi; Simionescu, Aurora; Smith, Randall K.; Soong, Yang; Stawarz, Łukasz; Sugawara, Yasuharu; Sugita, Satoshi; Szymkowiak, Andrew; Tajima, Hiroyasu; Takahashi, Hiromitsu; Takahashi, Tadayuki; Takeda, Shiníchiro; Takei, Yoh; Tamagawa, Toru; Tamura, Takayuki; Tanaka, Takaaki; Tanaka, Yasuo; Tanaka, Yasuyuki T.; Tashiro, Makoto S.; Tawara, Yuzuru; Terada, Yukikatsu; Terashima, Yuichi; Tombesi, Francesco; Tomida, Hiroshi; Tsuboi, Yohko; Tsujimoto, Masahiro; Tsunemi, Hiroshi; Tsuru, Takeshi Go; Uchida, Hiroyuki; Uchiyama, Hideki; Uchiyama, Yasunobu; Ueda, Shutaro; Ueda, Yoshihiro; Uno, Shiníchiro; Urry, C. Megan; Ursino, Eugenio; Watanabe, Shin; Werner, Norbert; Wilkins, Dan R.; Williams, Brian J.; Yamada, Shinya; Yamaguchi, Hiroya; Yamaoka, Kazutaka; Yamasaki, Noriko Y.; Yamauchi, Makoto; Yamauchi, Shigeo; Yaqoob, Tahir; Yatsu, Yoichi; Yonetoku, Daisuke; Zhuravleva, Irina; Zoghbi, Abderahmen

2018-03-01

Thanks to its high spectral resolution (˜5 eV at 6 keV), the Soft X-ray Spectrometer (SXS) on board Hitomi enables us to measure the detailed structure of spatially resolved emission lines from highly ionized ions in galaxy clusters for the first time. In this series of papers, using the SXS we have measured the velocities of gas motions, metallicities and the multi-temperature structure of the gas in the core of the Perseus Cluster. Here, we show that when inferring physical properties from line emissivities in systems like Perseus, the resonant scattering effect should be taken into account. In the Hitomi waveband, resonant scattering mostly affects the Fe XXV Heα line (w)—the strongest line in the spectrum. The flux measured by Hitomi in this line is suppressed by a factor of ˜1.3 in the inner ˜30 kpc, compared to predictions for an optically thin plasma; the suppression decreases with the distance from the center. The w line also appears slightly broader than other lines from the same ion. The observed distortions of the w line flux, shape, and distance dependence are all consistent with the expected effect of the resonant scattering in the Perseus core. By measuring the ratio of fluxes in optically thick (w) and thin (Fe XXV forbidden, Heβ, Lyα) lines, and comparing these ratios with predictions from Monte Carlo radiative transfer simulations, the velocities of gas motions have been obtained. The results are consistent with the direct measurements of gas velocities from line broadening described elsewhere in this series, although the systematic and statistical uncertainties remain significant. Further improvements in the predictions of line emissivities in plasma models, and deeper observations with future X-ray missions offering similar or better capabilities to the Hitomi SXS, will enable resonant scattering measurements to provide powerful constraints on the amplitude and anisotropy of cluster gas motions.

Dissipation of circumstellar disks of Be stars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sabogal, B. E.; Ubaque, K. Y.; García-Varela, A.; álvarez, M.; Salas, L.

2017-07-01

Studies of L-band spectra of Be stars are useful to set constraints to the models of formation and evolution mechanisms of the circumstellar disks around these stars. Because few such studies have been performed, more of them are needed to confirm the characteristics reported about the optical depth and evolution of these disks. In this work, we studied new L-band spectra of 7 bright galactic Be stars that were obtained by using CID-InSb spectrograph at the 2.1-m telescope at OAN/UNAM San Pedro Martir Observatory, Baja California, Mexico. We used these data to locate these stars, and the Be stars previously studied in the IR, on a flux ratio diagram (log Hu14/Pfγ vs log Hu14/Brα). We found that 28 Cyg has moved significantly along this diagram implying strong changes of its disk from optically thick to an optically thin one between 2001 and 2014. On the base of the absence of emission lines in the spectra, the circumstellar disks of θ CrB and 66 Oph have been almost totally dissipated. These three stars have decaying circumstellar disks. The other stars: γ Cas, φ Per, 28 Tau and o Her have optically thin disks, that have been almost stable in time. It will be important monitoring these and other Be stars in the L-band to observe the changes on their circumstellar disks, and to observe also in this band, the building-up stars, i.e. stars that create a new disk, or that change it from a very tenuous one to an optically thick circumstellar disk. Our spectra contribute to enlarge the infrared spectroscopic database of Be stars.

Plasma impact on structural, morphological and optical properties of copper acetylacetonate thin films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abdel-Khalek, H.; El-Samahi, M. I.; El-Mahalawy, Ahmed M.

2018-06-01

The influence of plasma exposure on structural, morphological and optical properties of copper (II) acetylacetonate thin films deposited by thermal evaporation technique was investigated. Copper (II) acetylacetonate as-grown thin films were exposed to the atmospheric plasma for different times. The exposure of as-grown cu(acac)2 thin film to atmospheric plasma for 5 min modified its structural, morphological and optical properties. The effect of plasma exposure on structure and roughness of cu(acac)2 thin films was evaluated by XRD and AFM techniques, respectively. The XRD results showed an increment in crystallinity due to exposure for 5 min, but, when the exposure time reaches 10 min, the film was transformed to an amorphous state. The AFM results revealed a strong modification of films roughness when the average roughness decreased from 63.35 nm to 1 nm as a result of interaction with plasma. The optical properties of as-grown and plasma exposured cu(acac)2 thin films were studied using spectrophotometric method. The exposure of cu(acac)2 thin films to plasma produced the indirect energy gap decrease from 3.20 eV to 2.67 eV for 10 min exposure time. The dispersion parameters were evaluated in terms of single oscillator model for as-grown and plasma exposured thin films. The influence of plasma exposure on third order optical susceptibility was studied.

Nonlinear Optical Properties of Organic and Polymeric Thin Film Materials of Potential for Microgravity Processing Studies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Abdeldayem, Hossin; Frazier, Donald O.; Paley, Mark S.; Penn, Benjamin; Witherow, William K.; Bank, Curtis; Shields, Angela; Hicks, Rosline; Ashley, Paul R.

1996-01-01

In this paper, we will take a closer look at the state of the art of polydiacetylene, and metal-free phthalocyanine films, in view of the microgravity impact on their optical properties, their nonlinear optical properties and their potential advantages for integrated optics. These materials have many attractive features with regard to their use in integrated optical circuits and optical switching. Thin films of these materials processed in microgravity environment show enhanced optical quality and better molecular alignment than those processed in unit gravity. Our studies of these materials indicate that microgravity can play a major role in integrated optics technology. Polydiacetylene films are produced by UV irradiation of monomer solution through an optical window. This novel technique of forming polydiacetylene thin films has been modified for constructing sophisticated micro-structure integrated optical patterns using a pre-programmed UV-Laser beam. Wave guiding through these thin films by the prism coupler technique has been demonstrated. The third order nonlinear parameters of these films have been evaluated. Metal-free phthalocyanine films of good optical quality are processed in our laboratories by vapor deposition technique. Initial studies on these films indicate that they have excellent chemical, laser, and environmental stability. They have large nonlinear optical parameters and show intrinsic optical bistability. This bistability is essential for optical logic gates and optical switching applications. Waveguiding and device making investigations of these materials are underway.

Effect of 60Co γ-irradiation on structural and optical properties of thin films of Ga10Se80Hg10

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ahmad, Shabir; Asokan, K.; Shahid Khan, Mohd.; Zulfequar, M.

2015-08-01

Thin films of Ga10Se80Hg10 have been deposited onto a chemically cleaned Al2O3 substrates by thermal evaporation technique under vacuum. The investigated thin films are irradiated by 60Co γ-rays in the dose range of 50-150 kGy. X-ray diffraction patterns of the investigated thin films confirm the preferred crystallite growth occurs in the tetragonal phase structure. It also shows, the average crystallite size increases after γ-exposure, which indicates the crystallinity of the material increases after γ-irradiation. These results were further supported by surface morphological analysis carried out by scanning electron microscope and atomic force microscope which also shows the crystallinity of the material increases with increasing the γ-irradiation dose. The optical transmission spectra of the thin films at normal incidence were investigated in the spectral range from 190 to 1100 nm. Using the transmission spectra, the optical constants like refractive index (n) and extinction coefficient (k) were calculated based on Swanepoel's method. The optical band gap (Eg) was also estimated using Tauc's extrapolation procedure. The optical analysis shows: the value of optical band gap of investigated thin films decreases and the corresponding absorption coefficient increases continuously with increasing dose of γ-irradiation.

Fabrication of ZnO Thin Films by Sol-Gel Spin Coating and Their UV and White-Light Emission Properties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kumar, Mirgender; Dubey, Sarvesh; Rajendar, Vanga; Park, Si-Hyun

2017-10-01

ZnO thin films have been fabricated by the sol-gel spin-coating technique and annealed under different conditions, and their ultraviolet (UV) and white-light emission properties investigated. Different ambient conditions including oxygen, nitrogen, zinc-rich nitrogen, and vacuum were used to tune the main properties of the ZnO thin films. The resistivity varied from the conductive to semi-insulating regime, and the luminescence emission from fairly intense UV to polychromatic. The emission intensity was also found to be a function of the annealing conditions. Possible routes to compensate the loss of emission characteristics are discussed. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis was carried out to detect the chemical states of the zinc/oxygen species. The changes in the electrical and emission properties are explained based on annihilation/formation of inherent donor/acceptor-type defects. Such ZnO thin films could have potential applications in solid-state lighting.

Optical Coherence Tomography in Glaucoma

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Berisha, Fatmire; Hoffmann, Esther M.; Pfeiffer, Norbert

Retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thinning and optic nerve head cupping are key diagnostic features of glaucomatous optic neuropathy. The higher resolution of the recently introduced SD-OCT offers enhanced visualization and improved segmentation of the retinal layers, providing a higher accuracy in identification of subtle changes of the optic disc and RNFL thinning associated with glaucoma.

Investigation of microstructure, micro-mechanical and optical properties of HfTiO{sub 4} thin films prepared by magnetron co-sputtering

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mazur, Michal, E-mail: michal.mazur@pwr.edu.pl; Wojcieszak, Damian; Domaradzki, Jaroslaw

2015-12-15

Highlights: • HfTiO{sub 4} thin films were deposited by magnetron co-sputtering. • As-prepared and annealed at 800 °C thin films were nanocrystalline. • Optical properties and hardness were investigated in relation to thin films structure. • Hardness was 3-times higher in the case of as-deposited thin films. • HfTiO{sub 4} thin films are suitable for use as optical coatings with protective properties. - Abstract: Titania (TiO{sub 2}) and hafnium oxide (HfO{sub 2}) thin films are in the focus of interest to the microelectronics community from a dozen years. Because of their outstanding properties like, among the others, high stability, highmore » refractive index, high electric permittivity, they found applications in many optical and electronics domains. In this work discussion on the hardness, microstructure and optical properties of as-deposited and annealed HfTiO{sub 4} thin films has been presented. Deposited films were prepared using magnetron co-sputtering method. Performed investigations revealed that as-deposited coatings were nanocrystalline with HfTiO{sub 4} structure. Deposited films were built from crystallites of ca. 4–12 nm in size and after additional annealing an increase in crystallites size up to 16 nm was observed. Micro-mechanical properties, i.e., hardness and elastic modulus were determined using conventional load-controlled nanoindentation testing. the annealed films had 3-times lower hardness as-compared to as-deposited ones (∼9 GPa). Based on optical investigations real and imaginary components of refractive index were calculated, both for as-deposited and annealed thin films. The real refractive index component increased after annealing from 2.03 to 2.16, while extinction coefficient increased by an order from 10{sup −4} to 10{sup −3}. Structure modification was analyzed together with optical energy band-gap, Urbach energy and using Wemple–DiDomenico model.« less

ngVLA Key Science Goal 1: Unveiling the Formation of Solar System Analogues

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Shangfei; Ricci, Luca; Isella, Andrea; Li, Hui; Li, Shengtai

2018-01-01

The annular gaps and other substructures discovered in several protoplanetary disks by ALMA and optical/NIR telescopes are reminiscent of the interaction between newborn planets and the circumstellar material. The comparison with theoretical models indicates that these structures might indeed result from the gravitational interaction between the circumstellar disk and Saturn-mass planets orbiting at tens of AU from the parent star. The same observations also revealed that the submm-wave dust continuum emission arising within 10-30 AU from the star is optically thick. The large optical depth prevents us from accurately measuring the dust density and, therefore, image planet-driven density perturbations. A natural solution to this problem consists in imaging disks at wavelengths of 3mm and longer, where the dust continuum emission from the innermost disk regions is optically thin, but still bright enough to be detected. These wavelengths are covered by the VLA, which, however, lacks the angular resolution and sensitivity to efficiently search for signatures of planets orbiting in the innermost and densest disk regions. Thanks to its much larger collecting area, resolving power, and image quality the Next Generation VLA (ngVLA) will transform the study of planet formation. we present the results of a recent study aimed at investigating the potential of the ngVLA of discovering disk sub-structures, such as gaps and azimuthal asymmetries, generated by the interaction with low-mass forming planets at < 10 au from the star.

Emission spectra of a laser based on an In(Ga)As/GaAs quantum-dot superlattice

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sobolev, M. M., E-mail: m.sobolev@mail.ioffe.ru; Buyalo, M. S.; Nevedomskiy, V. N.

2015-10-15

The spectral characteristics of a laser with an active region based on a ten-layer system of In(Ga)As/GaAs vertically correlated quantum dots with 4.5-nm GaAs spacer layers between InAs quantum dots are studied under the conditions of spontaneous and stimulated emission, depending on the current and the duration of pump pulses. Data obtained by transmission electron microscopy and electroluminescence and absorption polarization anisotropy measurements make it possible to demonstrate that the investigated system of tunnel-coupled InAs quantum dots separated by thin GaAs barriers represents a quantum-dot superlattice. With an increase in the laser pump current, the electroluminescence intensity increases linearly andmore » the spectral position of the electroluminescence maximum shifts to higher energies, which is caused by the dependence of the miniband density-of-states distribution on the pump current. Upon exceeding the threshold current, multimode lasing via the miniband ground state is observed. One of the lasing modes can be attributed to the zero-phonon line, and the other is determined by the longitudinal-optical phonon replica of quantum-dot emission. The results obtained give evidence that, under conditions of the laser pumping of an In(Ga)As/GaAs quantum-dot superlattice, strong coupling between the discrete electron states in the miniband and optical phonons takes place. This leads to the formation of quantum-dot polarons, resulting from the resonant mixing of electronic states whose energy separation is comparable to the optical-phonon energy.« less

Lighthouse in the dust: infrared echoes of periodic emission from massive black hole binaries★

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

D'Orazio, Daniel J.; Haiman, Zoltán

2017-09-01

The optical and UV emission from sub-parsec massive black hole binaries (MBHBs) in active galactic nuclei (AGNs) is believed to vary periodically, on time-scales comparable to the binary's orbital time. If driven by accretion rate fluctuations, the variability could be isotropic. If dominated by relativistic Doppler modulation, the variability should instead be anisotropic, resembling a rotating forward-beamed lighthouse. We consider the infrared (IR) reverberation of either type of periodic emission by pc-scale circumbinary dust tori. We predict the phase and amplitude of IR variability as a function of the ratio of dust light crossing time to the source variability period, and of the torus inclination and opening angle. We enumerate several differences between the isotropic and anisotropic cases. Interestingly, for a nearly face-on binary with an inclined dust torus, the Doppler boost can produce IR variability without any observable optical/UV variability. Such orphan-IR variability would have been missed in optical searches for periodic AGNs. We apply our models to time-domain WISE IR data from the MBHB candidate PG 1302-102 and find consistency with dust reverberation by both isotropically emitting and Doppler-boosted sources in the shorter wavelength W1-W2 (2.8 → 5.3 μm) bands. We constrain the dust torus to be thin (aspect ratio ˜ 0.1), with an inner radius at 1-5 pc. More generally, our dust-echo models will aid in identifying new MBHB candidates, determining their nature and constraining the physical properties of MBHBs and their dust tori.

Temperature quenching of spontaneous emission in tunnel-injection nanostructures

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Talalaev, V. G., E-mail: vadimtalalaev@yandex.com; Novikov, B. V.; Cirlin, G. E.

2015-11-15

The spontaneous-emission spectra in the near-IR range (0.8–1.3 μm) from inverted tunnel-injection nanostructures are measured. These structures contain an InAs quantum-dot layer and an InGaAs quantum-well layer, separated by GaAs barrier spacer whose thickness varies in the range 3–9 nm. The temperature dependence of this emission in the range 5–295 K is investigated, both for optical excitation (photoluminescence) and for current injection in p–n junction (electroluminescence). At room temperature, current pumping proves more effective for inverted tunnel-injection nanostructures with a thin barrier (<6 nm), when the apexes of the quantum dots connect with the quantum well by narrow InGaAs strapsmore » (nanobridges). In that case, the quenching of the electroluminescence by heating from 5 to 295 K is slight. The quenching factor S{sub T} of the integrated intensity I is S{sub T} = I{sub 5}/I{sub 295} ≈ 3. The temperature stability of the emission from inverted tunnel-injection nanostructures is discussed on the basis of extended Arrhenius analysis.« less

Exciton Emission Intensity Modulation of Monolayer MoS2 via Au Plasmon Coupling

PubMed Central

Mukherjee, B.; Kaushik, N.; Tripathi, Ravi P. N.; Joseph, A. M.; Mohapatra, P. K.; Dhar, S.; Singh, B. P.; Kumar, G. V. Pavan; Simsek, E.; Lodha, S.

2017-01-01

Modulation of photoluminescence of atomically thin transition metal dichalcogenide two-dimensional materials is critical for their integration in optoelectronic and photonic device applications. By coupling with different plasmonic array geometries, we have shown that the photoluminescence intensity can be enhanced and quenched in comparison with pristine monolayer MoS2. The enhanced exciton emission intensity can be further tuned by varying the angle of polarized incident excitation. Through controlled variation of the structural parameters of the plasmonic array in our experiment, we demonstrate modulation of the photoluminescence intensity from nearly fourfold quenching to approximately threefold enhancement. Our data indicates that the plasmonic resonance couples to optical fields at both, excitation and emission bands, and increases the spontaneous emission rate in a double spacing plasmonic array structure as compared with an equal spacing array structure. Furthermore our experimental results are supported by numerical as well as full electromagnetic wave simulations. This study can facilitate the incorporation of plasmon-enhanced transition metal dichalcogenide structures in photodetector, sensor and light emitter applications. PMID:28134260

The spectrum of the tropical oxygen nightglow observed at 3 A resolution with the Hopkins Ultraviolet Telescope

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Feldman, P. D.; Davidsen, A. F.; Blair, W. P.; Bowers, C. W.; Durrance, S. T.; Kriss, G. A.; Ferguson, H. C.; Kimble, R. A.; Long, K. S.

1992-01-01

Ultraviolet spectra of the tropical oxygen nightglow in the range of 830 to 1850 A (in first order) at 3 A resolution were obtained with the Hopkins Ultraviolet Telescope in December 1990. The data are presented which were obtained on a setting celestial target as the zenith angle of the line-of-sight varied from 77 to 95 deg. The dominant features in the spectrum (other than geocoronal hydrogen) are O I 1304 and 1356 and the radiative recombination continuum near 911 A. The continuum is resolved and found to be consistent with an electron temperature in the range 1000-1250 K. The observed ratio of the brightness of O I 1356 to the continuum suggests that O(+)-O(-) mutual neutralization contributes about 40 percent to the 1356 A emission. The dependence of the optically thin emissions on zenith angle is consistent with a simple ionospheric model. Weak O I 989 emission is also detected, but there is no evidence for any similarly produced atomic nitrogen emissions.

X-ray spectrum of Capella and its relation to coronal structure and ultraviolet emission

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mewe, R.; Gronenschild, E. H. B. M.; Heise, J.; Brinkman, A. C.; Dijkstra, J. H.; Westergaard, N. J.; Schnopper, H. W.; Seward, F. D.; Chlebowski, T.; Kuin, N. P. M.

1982-01-01

The binary system Capella has been observed on 1979 March 15 and on 1980 March 15-17, with the objective grating spectrometer on board the Einstein Observatory. The spectrum measured with the 1000 1/mm grating covers the range 5-30 A with a resolution less than 1 A. The spectra show evidence for a bimodal temperature distribution of emission measure in an optically thin plasma with one component about 5,000,000 K and the other one about 10,000,000 K. Spectral features can be identified with line emissions from O VIII, Fe XVII, Fe XVIII, Fe XXIV, and Ne X ions. Good spectral fits have been obtained assuming standard cosmic abundances. The data are interpreted in terms of emission from hot static coronal loops rather similar to the magnetic arch structures found on the sun. It is shown that the conditions for such a model can exist on Capella. Typical values of loop base pressure and half-length are derived for both temperature components and discussed in relation to UV observations.

The Effect of Molecular Contamination on the Emissivity Spectral Index in Orion A

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Coudé, Simon; Bastien, Pierre; Drabek, Emily; Johnstone, Doug; Hatchell, Jennifer

2013-07-01

The emissivity spectral index is a critical component in the study of the physical properties of dust grains in cold and optically thin interstellar star forming regions. Since submillimeter astronomy is an ideal tool to measure the thermal emission of those dust grains, it can be used to characterize this important parameter. We present the SCUBA-2 shared risks observations at 450 μm and 850 μm of the Orion A molecular cloud obtained at the James-Clerk-Maxwell telescope. Previous studies showed that molecular emission lines can also contribute significantly to the measured fluxes in those continuum bands. We use HARP 12CO 3-2 maps to evaluate the total molecular line contamination in the SCUBA-2 maps and its effect on the determination of the spectral index in highly contaminated areas. With the corrected fluxes, we have obtained new spectral index maps for different regions of the well-known integral-shaped filament. This work is part of an ongoing effort to characterize the properties of star forming regions in the Gould belt with the new instruments available at the JCMT.

A STUDY OF RO-VIBRATIONAL OH EMISSION FROM HERBIG Ae/Be STARS

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Brittain, Sean D.; Reynolds, Nickalas; Najita, Joan R.

2016-10-20

We present a study of ro-vibrational OH and CO emission from 21 disks around Herbig Ae/Be stars. We find that the OH and CO luminosities are proportional over a wide range of stellar ultraviolet luminosities. The OH and CO line profiles are also similar, indicating that they arise from roughly the same radial region of the disk. The CO and OH emission are both correlated with the far-ultraviolet luminosity of the stars, while the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) luminosity is correlated with the longer wavelength ultraviolet luminosity of the stars. Although disk flaring affects the PAH luminosity, it is notmore » a factor in the luminosity of the OH and CO emission. These properties are consistent with models of UV-irradiated disk atmospheres. We also find that the transition disks in our sample, which have large optically thin inner regions, have lower OH and CO luminosities than non-transition disk sources with similar ultraviolet luminosities. This result, while tentative given the small sample size, is consistent with the interpretation that transition disks lack a gaseous disk close to the star.« less

Nanocrystalline silicon thin films and grating structures for solar cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Juneja, Sucheta; Sudhakar, Selvakumar; Khonina, Svetlana N.; Skidanov, Roman V.; Porfirevb, Alexey P.; Moissev, Oleg Y.; Kazanskiy, Nikolay L.; Kumar, Sushil

2016-03-01

Enhancement of optical absorption for achieving high efficiencies in thin film silicon solar cells is a challenge task. Herein, we present the use of grating structure for the enhancement of optical absorption. We have made grating structures and same can be integrated in hydrogenated micro/nanocrystalline silicon (μc/nc-Si: H) thin films based p-i-n solar cells. μc/nc-Si: H thin films were grown using plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition method. Grating structures integrated with μc/nc-Si: H thin film solar cells may enhance the optical path length and reduce the reflection losses and its characteristics can be probed by spectroscopic and microscopic technique with control design and experiment.

Optical, mechanical and structural properties of PMMA/SiO2 nanocomposite thin films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Soni, Gyanesh; Srivastava, Subodh; Soni, Purushottam; Kalotra, Pankaj; Vijay, Y. K.

2018-01-01

We have fabricated PMMA/SiO2 nanocomposite flexible thin films of 60 μm thicknesses by using solution casting method in the presence of transverse electric field. In this paper, we have investigated the effect of SiO2 nanoparticle (NP) loading on optical and mechanical properties of the composite thin film. The SEM images show that nanocomposite thin films have a smoother and uniform morphology. The transmittance peak near 1103 cm-1 in FT-IR spectrum confirms the presence of SiO2 NPs in the composite thin film. It is observed that optical bandgap decreases with an increase in the SiO2 NP concentration. Dynamic mechanical analysis shows that presence of SiO2 NP enhances the mechanical strength of the composite thin film.

Origin of the 30 THz Emission Detected During the Solar Flare on 2012 March 13 at 17:20 UT

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Trottet, G.; Raulin, J.-P.; Mackinnon, A.; Giménez de Castro, G.; Simões, P. J. A.; Cabezas, D.; de La Luz, V.; Luoni, M.; Kaufmann, P.

2015-10-01

Solar observations in the infrared domain can bring important clues on the response of the low solar atmosphere to primary energy released during flares. At present, the infrared continuum has been detected at 30 THz (10 μm) in only a few flares. SOL2012-03-13, which is one of these flares, has been presented and discussed in Kaufmann et al. ( Astrophys. J. 768, 134, 2013). No firm conclusions were drawn on the origin of the mid-infrared radiation. In this work we present a detailed multi-frequency analysis of the SOL2012-03-13 event, including observations at radio-millimeter and submillimeter wavelengths, in hard X-rays (HXR), gamma-rays (GR), Hα, and white light. The HXR/GR spectral analysis shows that SOL2012-03-13 is a GR line flare and allows estimating the numbers of and energy contents in electrons, protons, and α particles produced during the flare. The energy spectrum of the electrons producing the HXR/GR continuum is consistent with a broken power-law with an energy break at {˜} 800 keV. We show that the high-energy part (above {˜} 800 keV) of this distribution is responsible for the high-frequency radio emission ({>} 20 GHz) detected during the flare. By comparing the 30 THz emission expected from semi-empirical and time-independent models of the quiet and flare atmospheres, we find that most ({˜} 80 %) of the observed 30 THz radiation can be attributed to thermal free-free emission of an optically thin source. Using the F2 flare atmospheric model (Machado et al. in Astrophys. J. 242, 336, 1980), this thin source is found to be at temperatures T {˜} 8000 K and is located well above the minimum temperature region. We argue that the chromospheric heating, which results in 80 % of the 30 THz excess radiation, can be due to energy deposition by nonthermal flare-accelerated electrons, protons, and α particles. The remaining 20 % of the 30 THz excess emission is found to be radiated from an optically thick atmospheric layer at T {˜} 5000 K, below the temperature minimum region, where direct heating by nonthermal particles is insufficient to account for the observed infrared radiation.

Nonlinear optical and light emission studies of special organic molecules and crystals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bhowmik, Achintya K.

The nonlinear optical properties and light emission characteristics of some special organic molecules and crystals have been studied in detail. The second-order nonlinear optical effects were measured in the single- crystal films of the materials. The crystallographic orientations of the films were determined using x-ray diffraction measurements. The second-order susceptibility tensor elements of 4-aminobenzophenone (ABP) and 8- (4'-acetylphenyl)-1,4-dioxa-8- azaspiro[4.5]decane (APDA) films were measured using polarization selective second-harmonic generation experiments. The d-coefficients of ABP are: d 23 = 7.3 +/- 0.4 pm/V and d22 = 0.73 +/- 0.04 pm/V, while those of APDA are: d33 = 54 +/- 6 pm/V and d15 = 18 +/- 3 pm/V at 1064 nm. Phase-matched propagation directions were identified on the films. The application of these films in measuring ultra-short laser pulse-width was demonstrated. Polarized optical absorption and photo- luminescence were measured in 4'- dimethylamino-N-methyl-4-stilbazolium tosylate (DAST). The electro-optic properties of single- crystal films of DAST and styryl pyridinium cyanine dye (SPCD) were studied over a broad range of wavelengths. The measured r-coefficients are the largest reported in any material. Thin-film electro-optic modulators were demonstrated using these films which have insignificant insertion and propagation losses compared to the traditional waveguide based devices. The response was observed to be flat over the measured frequency range (2 kHz-100 MHz), which indicates the origin of the electro-optic effect to be predominantly electronic. Thus these materials have significant potential for applications in high-speed optical signal processing. Spectral broadening of femtosecond laser pulses in poly- [2,4 hexadiyne-1,6 diol-bis-(p-toluene sulfonate)] (PTS) single-crystals due to self-phase modulation was studied. The magnitudes of the nonlinear refractive index were determined over the wavelength range of 720-1064 nm. The two-photon absorption spectrum, determined from nonlinear transmission measurements, was observed to have no discernible influence on the dispersion of the nonlinear index at these wavelengths. Highly efficient spectrally narrowed emission has been observed for the first time in strongly dipolar organic salts based on the stilbazolium chromophore. An unusually high conversion efficiency (40%) with a low excitation threshold (<1 μJ) has been observed despite a very low photoluminescence efficiency (~0.3%). The results are explained in terms of cooperative emission upon short-pulse optical excitation. These materials have a wide range of potential applications in photonics, including frequency conversion, high-speed electro-optic modulation, sensors, and novel laser-like light sources.

Elaboration and properties of hierarchically structured optical thin films of MIL-101(Cr).

PubMed

Demessence, Aude; Horcajada, Patricia; Serre, Christian; Boissière, Cédric; Grosso, David; Sanchez, Clément; Férey, Gérard

2009-12-14

Stable nanoparticles dispersions of the porous hybrid MIL-101(Cr) allow dip-coating of high quality optical thin films with dual hierarchical porous structure. Moreover, for the first time, mechanical and sorption properties of mesoporous MOFs based thin films are evaluated.

Fabricate heterojunction diode by using the modified spray pyrolysis method to deposit nickel-lithium oxide on indium tin oxide substrate.

PubMed

Wu, Chia-Ching; Yang, Cheng-Fu

2013-06-12

P-type lithium-doped nickel oxide (p-LNiO) thin films were deposited on an n-type indium tin oxide (ITO) glass substrate using the modified spray pyrolysis method (SPM), to fabricate a transparent p-n heterojunction diode. The structural, optical, and electrical properties of the p-LNiO and ITO thin films and the p-LNiO/n-ITO heterojunction diode were characterized by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), UV-visible spectroscopy, Hall effect measurement, and current-voltage (I-V) measurements. The nonlinear and rectifying I-V properties confirmed that a heterojunction diode characteristic was successfully formed in the p-LNiO/n-ITO (p-n) structure. The I-V characteristic was dominated by space-charge-limited current (SCLC), and the Anderson model demonstrated that band alignment existed in the p-LNiO/n-ITO heterojunction diode.

Method of accurate thickness measurement of boron carbide coating on copper foil

DOEpatents

Lacy, Jeffrey L.; Regmi, Murari

2017-11-07

A method is disclosed of measuring the thickness of a thin coating on a substrate comprising dissolving the coating and substrate in a reagent and using the post-dissolution concentration of the coating in the reagent to calculate an effective thickness of the coating. The preferred method includes measuring non-conducting films on flexible and rough substrates, but other kinds of thin films can be measure by matching a reliable film-substrate dissolution technique. One preferred method includes determining the thickness of Boron Carbide films deposited on copper foil. The preferred method uses a standard technique known as inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy (ICPOES) to measure boron concentration in a liquid sample prepared by dissolving boron carbide films and the Copper substrates, preferably using a chemical etch known as ceric ammonium nitrate (CAN). Measured boron concentration values can then be calculated.

Luminescence of Eu(3+) doped SiO2 Thin Films and Glass Prepared by Sol-gel Technology

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Castro, Lymari; Jia, Weiyi; Wang, Yanyun; Santiago, Miguel; Liu, Huimin

1998-01-01

Trivalent europium ions are an important luminophore for lighting and display. The emission of (5)D0 to (7)F2 transition exhibits a red color at about 610 nm, which is very attractive and fulfills the requirement for most red-emitting phosphors including lamp and cathode ray phosphorescence materials. Various EU(3+) doped phosphors have been developed, and luminescence properties have been extensively studied. On the other hand, sol-gel technology has been well developed by chemists. In recent years, applications of this technology to optical materials have drawn a great attention. Sol-gel technology provides a unique way to obtain homogeneous composition distribution and uniform doping, and the processing temperature can be very low. In this work, EU(3+) doped SiO2 thin films and glasses were prepared by sol-gel technology and their spectroscopic properties were investigated.

Optical stress generator and detector

DOEpatents

Maris, Humphrey J.; Stoner, Robert J

2001-01-01

Disclosed is a system for the characterization of thin films and interfaces between thin films through measurements of their mechanical and thermal properties. In the system light is absorbed in a thin film or in a structure made up of several thin films, and the change in optical transmission or reflection is measured and analyzed. The change in reflection or transmission is used to give information about the ultrasonic waves that are produced in the structure. The information that is obtained from the use of the measurement methods and apparatus of this invention can include: (a) a determination of the thickness of thin films with a speed and accuracy that is improved compared to earlier methods; (b) a determination of the thermal, elastic, and optical properties of thin films; (c) a determination of the stress in thin films; and (d) a characterization of the properties of interfaces, including the presence of roughness and defects.

Optical stress generator and detector

DOEpatents

Maris, Humphrey J.; Stoner, Robert J.

1998-01-01

Disclosed is a system for the characterization of thin films and interfaces between thin films through measurements of their mechanical and thermal properties. In the system light is absorbed in a thin film or in a structure made up of several thin films, and the change in optical transmission or reflection is measured and analyzed. The change in reflection or transmission is used to give information about the ultrasonic waves that are produced in the structure. The information that is obtained from the use of the measurement methods and apparatus of this invention can include: (a) a determination of the thickness of thin films with a speed and accuracy that is improved compared to earlier methods; (b) a determination of the thermal, elastic, and optical properties of thin films; (c) a determination of the stress in thin films; and (d) a characterization of the properties of interfaces, including the presence of roughness and defects.

Optical stress generator and detector

DOEpatents

Maris, H.J.; Stoner, R.J.

1998-05-05

Disclosed is a system for the characterization of thin films and interfaces between thin films through measurements of their mechanical and thermal properties. In the system light is absorbed in a thin film or in a structure made up of several thin films, and the change in optical transmission or reflection is measured and analyzed. The change in reflection or transmission is used to give information about the ultrasonic waves that are produced in the structure. The information that is obtained from the use of the measurement methods and apparatus of this invention can include: (a) a determination of the thickness of thin films with a speed and accuracy that is improved compared to earlier methods; (b) a determination of the thermal, elastic, and optical properties of thin films; (c) a determination of the stress in thin films; and (d) a characterization of the properties of interfaces, including the presence of roughness and defects. 32 figs.

Optical stress generator and detector

DOEpatents

Maris, Humphrey J.; Stoner, Robert J

2002-01-01

Disclosed is a system for the characterization of thin films and interfaces between thin films through measurements of their mechanical and thermal properties. In the system light is absorbed in a thin film or in a structure made up of several thin films, and the change in optical transmission or reflection is measured and analyzed. The change in reflection or transmission is used to give information about the ultrasonic waves that are produced in the structure. The information that is obtained from the use of the measurement methods and apparatus of this invention can include: (a) a determination of the thickness of thin films with a speed and accuracy that is improved compared to earlier methods; (b) a determination of the thermal, elastic, and optical properties of thin films; (c) a determination of the stress in thin films; and (d) a characterization of the properties of interfaces, including the presence of roughness and defects.

Optical stress generator and detector

DOEpatents

Maris, Humphrey J.; Stoner, Robert J

1999-01-01

Disclosed is a system for the characterization of thin films and interfaces between thin films through measurements of their mechanical and thermal properties. In the system light is absorbed in a thin film or in a structure made up of several thin films, and the change in optical transmission or reflection is measured and analyzed. The change in reflection or transmission is used to give information about the ultrasonic waves that are produced in the structure. The information that is obtained from the use of the measurement methods and apparatus of this invention can include: (a) a determination of the thickness of thin films with a speed and accuracy that is improved compared to earlier methods; (b) a determination of the thermal, elastic, and optical properties of thin films; (c) a determination of the stress in thin films; and (d) a characterization of the properties of interfaces, including the presence of roughness and defects.

A study on micro-structural and optical parameters of InxSe1-x thin film

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Patel, P. B.; Desai, H. N.; Dhimmar, J. M.; Modi, B. P.

2018-04-01

Thin film of Indium Selenide (InSe) has been deposited by thermal evaporation technique onto pre cleaned glass substrate under high vacuum condition. The micro-structural and optical properties of InxSe1-x (x = 0.6, 1-x = 0.4) thin film have been characterized by X-ray diffractrometer (XRD) and UV-Visible spectrophotometer. The XRD spectra showed that InSe thin film has single phase hexagonal structure with preferred orientation along (1 1 0) direction. The micro-structural parameters (crystallite size, lattice strain, dislocation density, domain population) for InSe thin film have been calculated using XRD spectra. The optical parameters (absorption, transmittance, reflectance, energy band gap, Urbach energy) of InSe thin film have been evaluated from absorption spectra. The direct energy band gap and Urbach energy of InSe thin film is found to be 1.90 eV and 235 meV respectively.

Fabrication of ATO/Graphene Multi-layered Transparent Conducting Thin Films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Na; Chen, Fei; Shen, Qiang; Wang, Chuanbin; Zhang, Lianmeng

2013-03-01

A novel transparent conducting oxide based on the ATO/graphene multi-layered thin films has been developed to satisfy the application of transparent conductive electrode in solar cells. The ATO thin films are prepared by pulsed laser deposition method with high quality, namely the sheet resistance of 49.5 Ω/sq and average transmittance of 81.9 %. The prepared graphene sheet is well reduced and shows atomically thin, spotty distributed appearance on the top of the ATO thin films. The XRD and optical micrographs are used to confirm the successfully preparation of the ATO/graphene multi-layered thin films. The Hall measurements and UV-Vis spectrophotometer are conducted to evaluate the sheet resistance and optical transmittance of the innovative structure. It is found that graphene can improve the electrical properties of the ATO thin films with little influence on the optical transmittance.

Special Features of the Optical Absorption and Photoconductivity of Indium Monoselenide Upon Laser Excitation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kyazym-Zade, A. G.; Salmanov, V. M.; Guseinov, A. G.; Mamedov, R. M.; Salmanova, A. A.; Akhmedova, F. Sh.

2018-02-01

The successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction (SILAR) method is used to prepare InSe thin films and InSe nanoparticles. Shapes and sizes of the obtained nanoparticles are investigated using a scanning electron microscope and an atomic force microscope. The main parameters of the examined structures, nanoparticle sizes (4-20 nm), and band gap ( E g = 1.60 eV) for nanoparticles with the least sizes are determined. Superfast (1.5·10-8 s) photocurrent relaxation and stimulated emission with line half-width of 8 Å have been observed upon exposure to laser radiation.

Si based GeSn light emitter: mid-infrared devices in Si photonics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yu, S. Q.; Ghetmiri, S. A.; Du, W.; Margetis, J.; Zhou, Y.; Mosleh, A.; Al-Kabi, S.; Nazzal, A.; Sun, G.; Soref, R. A.; Tolle, J.; Li, B.; Naseem, H. A.

2015-02-01

Ge1-xSnx/Ge thin films and Ge/Ge1-xSnx/Ge n-i-p double heterostructure (DHS) have been grown using commercially available reduced pressure chemical vapor deposition (RPCVD) reactor. The Sn compositional material and optical characteristics have been investigated. A direct bandgap GeSn material has been identified with Sn composition of 10%. The GeSn DHS samples were fabricated into LED devices. Room temperature electroluminescence spectra were studied. A maximum emission power of 28mW was obtained with 10% Sn LED under the injection current density of 800 A/cm2.

Distance and spectrum of the Apollo gamma-ray burst

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gilman, D.; Metzger, A.E.; Parker, R.H.

1980-03-15

The ..gamma..-ray spectrometer on Apollo 16 obtained spectral information with good energy resolution from more than 2500 burst photons in the energy range 0.06--5.16 MeV. The spectrum from 2 keV to 2 MeV, observed at X-ray energies by the Apollo X-ray spectrometer, is fitted by a thermal bremsstrahlung spectrum with kT=500 keV. The success of the fit implies that the source is optically thin, and it follows that it must be closer than 50 pc. Absence of spectral variability suggests that the burst results from isothermal changes in emission measure.

Optical sensors and multisensor arrays containing thin film electroluminescent devices

DOEpatents

Aylott, Jonathan W.; Chen-Esterlit, Zoe; Friedl, Jon H.; Kopelman, Raoul; Savvateev, Vadim N.; Shinar, Joseph

2001-12-18

Optical sensor, probe and array devices for detecting chemical biological, and physical analytes. The devices include an analyte-sensitive layer optically coupled to a thin film electroluminescent layer which activates the analyte-sensitive layer to provide an optical response. The optical response varies depending upon the presence of an analyte and is detected by a photodetector and analyzed to determine the properties of the analyte.

Miniature all-silica optical fiber pressure sensor with an ultrathin uniform diaphragm.

PubMed

Wang, Wenhui; Wu, Nan; Tian, Ye; Niezrecki, Christopher; Wang, Xingwei

2010-04-26

This paper presents an all-silica miniature optical fiber pressure/acoustic sensor based on the Fabry-Perot (FP) interferometric principle. The endface of the etched optical fiber tip and silica thin diaphragm on it form the FP structure. The uniform and thin silica diaphragm was fabricated by etching away the silicon substrate from a commercial silicon wafer that has a thermal oxide layer. The thin film was directly thermally bonded to the endface of the optical fiber thus creating the Fabry-Perot cavity. Thin films with a thickness from 1microm to 3microm have been bonded successfully. The sensor shows good linearity and hysteresis during measurement. A sensor with 0.75 microm-thick diaphragm thinned by post silica etching was demonstrated to have a sensitivity of 11 nm/kPa. The new sensor has great potential to be used as a non-intrusive pressure sensor in a variety of sensing applications.

Solar magnetic field studies using the 12 micron emission lines. I - Quiet sun time series and sunspot slices

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Deming, Drake; Boyle, Robert J.; Jennings, Donald E.; Wiedemann, Gunter

1988-01-01

The use of the extremely Zeeman-sensitive IR emission line Mg I, at 12.32 microns, to study solar magnetic fields. Time series observations of the line in the quiet sun were obtained in order to determine the response time of the line to the five-minute oscillations. Based upon the velocity amplitude and average period measured in the line, it is concluded that it is formed in the temperature minimum region. The magnetic structure of sunspots is investigated by stepping a small field of view in linear 'slices' through the spots. The region of penumbral line formation does not show the Evershed outflow common in photospheric lines. The line intensity is a factor of two greater in sunspot penumbrae than in the photosphere, and at the limb the penumbral emission begins to depart from optical thinness, the line source function increasing with height. For a spot near disk center, the radial decrease in absolute magnetic field strength is steeper than the generally accepted dependence.

INTEGRATED AND FIBER OPTICS: Unidirectional coupling of radiation out of a composite dielectric waveguide

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Avrutskiĭ, I. A.; Sychugov, V. A.; Tishchenko, A. V.; Svakhin, A. S.

1989-02-01

An analysis is made of the emission of light from a composite system representing a thin film on the surface of a corrugated diffused waveguide. Expressions are obtained for the radiative light losses in this waveguide. There is no emission of light into the substrate for certain relationships between the amplitudes and phases of the corrugations at the interfaces between the film and the adjoining medium and between the film and the waveguide. Numerical estimates of the losses are obtained for a case of practical importance, which is a corrugated diffused waveguide in glass with a film of Nb2O5 on the surface. A report is given of an experiment in which a grating was formed for coupling radiation out of a composite Cs+-diffused waveguide coated by a film of Nb2O5, which was capable of preferential (80%) emission of radiation into air, and in the presence of an immersion liquid ensured practically unidirectional coupling out of radiation into air.

B-MINE: The Balloon-Borne Microcalorimeter Nuclear Line Explorer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Silver, E.; Schnopper, H.; Jones, C.; Forman, W.; Bandler, S.; Murray, S.; Romaine, S.; Slane, P.; Grindlay, J.; Madden, N.

2001-01-01

B-MINE is a concept for a balloon mission designed to probe the deepest regions of a supernova explosion by detecting 44Ti emission at 68 keV with spatial and spectral resolutions that are sufficient to determine the extent and velocity distribution of the 44Ti emitting region. The payload introduces the concept of focusing optics and microcalorimeter spectroscopy to nuclear line emission astrophysics. B-MINE has a thin, plastic foil telescope multilayered to maximize the reflectivity in a 20 keV band centered at 68 keV and a microcalorimeter array optimized for the same energy band. This combination provides a reduced background, an energy resolution of 50 eV and a 3 sigma sensitivity in 10 (exp 6) s of 3.3 x 10(exp -7) ph cm(exp -2) s(exp -1) at 68 keV. During the course of a long duration balloon flight, B-MINE could carry out a detailed study of the 44Ti emission line centroid and width in CAS A.

Coherent curvature radiation and fast radio bursts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ghisellini, Gabriele; Locatelli, Nicola

2018-06-01

Fast radio bursts are extragalactic radio transient events lasting a few milliseconds with a Jy flux at 1 GHz. We propose that these properties suggest a neutron star progenitor, and focus on coherent curvature radiation as the radiation mechanism. We study for which sets of parameters the emission can fulfil the observational constraints. Even if the emission is coherent, we find that self-absorption can limit the produced luminosities at low radio frequencies and that an efficient re-acceleration process is needed to balance the dramatic energy losses of the emitting particles. Self-absorption limits the luminosities at low radio frequency, while coherence favours steep optically thin spectra. Furthermore, the magnetic geometry must have a high degree of order to obtain coherent curvature emission. Particles emit photons along their velocity vectors, thereby greatly reducing the inverse Compton mechanism. In this case we predict that fast radio bursts emit most of their luminosities in the radio band and have no strong counterpart in any other frequency bands.

A new exact method for line radiative transfer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Elitzur, Moshe; Asensio Ramos, Andrés

2006-01-01

We present a new method, the coupled escape probability (CEP), for exact calculation of line emission from multi-level systems, solving only algebraic equations for the level populations. The CEP formulation of the classical two-level problem is a set of linear equations, and we uncover an exact analytic expression for the emission from two-level optically thick sources that holds as long as they are in the `effectively thin' regime. In a comparative study of a number of standard problems, the CEP method outperformed the leading line transfer methods by substantial margins. The algebraic equations employed by our new method are already incorporated in numerous codes based on the escape probability approximation. All that is required for an exact solution with these existing codes is to augment the expression for the escape probability with simple zone-coupling terms. As an application, we find that standard escape probability calculations generally produce the correct cooling emission by the CII 158-μm line but not by the 3P lines of OI.

ASCA observations of SS Cygni during an anomalous outburst

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nousek, John A.; Baluta, Christopher J.; Corbet, Robin H. D.; Mukai, Koji; Osborne, Julian P.; Ishida, Manabu

1994-01-01

SS Cygni was observed by the ASCA satellite on 1993 May 27, the first cataclysmic variable studied by ASCA. The observations were conducted while the system was in an outburst of the 'anomalous' variety. The SIS spectrum cannot be explained by two-temperature Raymond-Smith coronal plasma models as invoked in previous studies with lower spectral resolution. Significantly better agreement is found for models with plasma emission at kT = 0.8, 3.5 keV and thermal bremsstrahlung at kT = 18 keV. The gas imaging spectrometer (GIS) data are consistent with the solid state imaging spectrometer (SIS) data, showing evidence for Fe line emission but showing no evidence of pulsation over times ranging from seconds to minutes. These observations seem at variance with standard theory in two regards: we simultaneously see hard X-rays and optically thin soft X-rays while the system is in outburst, and we see a nonsmooth emission measure distribution. We speculate on possible scenarios which might resolve these differences.

The effects of side-chain-induced disorder on the emission spectra and quantum yields of oligothiophene nano-aggregates. A combined experimental and MD-TDDFT study

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hong, Jiyun; Jeon, SuKyung; Kim, Janice J.

2014-07-24

Oligomeric thiophenes are commonly-used components in organic electronics and solar cells. These molecules stack and/or aggregate readily under the processing conditions used to form thin films for these applications, significantly altering their optical and charge-transport properties. To determine how these effects depend on the substitution pattern of the thiophene main chains, nano-aggregates of three sexi-thiophene (6T) oligomers having different alkyl substitution patterns were formed using solvent poisoning techniques and studied using steady-state and time-resolved emission spectroscopy. The results indicate the substantial role played by the side-chain substituents in determining the emissive properties of these species. Both the measured spectral changesmore » and their dependence on substitution are well modeled by combined quantum chemistry and molecular dynamics simulations. The simulations connect the side-chain-induced disorder, which determines the favorable chain packing configurations within the aggregates, with their measured electronic spectra.« less

The structure and nature of NGC 2017 IRS. 1: High-resolution radio continuum maps

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Smith, Howard A.; Beck, Sara C.

1994-01-01

We have observed the star formation cluster NGC 2071 IRS 1, 2, and 3, with 0.14 sec spatial resolution at 2 cm. The strong source IRS 1 breaks up into a bright peak sitting on a narrow line emission extending over about 400 AU, with three much weaker peaks. This ridge, which has a p.a. = 100 deg, is not aligned with any of the other structures that have previously been seen around IRS 1: its orientation is about 55 deg from the CO outflow direction, and 35 deg from a hypothetical disk direction. The spectral and spatial results, combined with earlier radio and infrared observations, indicate that most likely the radio and infrared emission from the exciting source, IRS 1, is produced by a dense wind hidden by at least 100 visual magnitudes of extinction; the extended ridge of emission comes from an optically thin H II region with characteristic dimensions of approximately AU and which may result from a clumpy distribution of local gas and dust.

Robust valley polarization of helium ion modified atomically thin MoS2

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Klein, J.; Kuc, A.; Nolinder, A.; Altzschner, M.; Wierzbowski, J.; Sigger, F.; Kreupl, F.; Finley, J. J.; Wurstbauer, U.; Holleitner, A. W.; Kaniber, M.

2018-01-01

Atomically thin semiconductors have dimensions that are commensurate with critical feature sizes of future optoelectronic devices defined using electron/ion beam lithography. Robustness of their emergent optical and valleytronic properties is essential for typical exposure doses used during fabrication. Here, we explore how focused helium ion bombardement affects the intrinsic vibrational, luminescence and valleytronic properties of atomically thin MoS2 . By probing the disorder dependent vibrational response we deduce the interdefect distance by applying a phonon confinement model. We show that the increasing interdefect distance correlates with disorder-related luminscence arising 180 meV below the neutral exciton emission. We perform ab initio density functional theory of a variety of defect related morphologies, which yield first indications on the origin of the observed additional luminescence. Remarkably, no significant reduction of free exciton valley polarization is observed until the interdefect distance approaches a few nanometers, namely the size of the free exciton Bohr radius. Our findings pave the way for direct writing of sub-10 nm nanoscale valleytronic devices and circuits using focused helium ions.

Photo-induced self-cleaning and sterilizing activity of Sm3+ doped ZnO nanomaterials.

PubMed

Saif, M; Hafez, H; Nabeel, A I

2013-01-01

Highly active samarium doped zinc oxide self-cleaning and biocidal surfaces (x mol% Sm(3+)/ZnO where x=0, 1, 2 and 4 mol%) with crystalline porous structures were synthesized by hydrothermal method. Sm(3+)/ZnO thin films were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscope (TEM), scanning electron microscope (SEM), energy dispersive spectroscopic (EDS), UV-visible diffuse reflectance and fluorescence (FL) spectroscopy. The combination between doping and hydrothermal treatments significantly altered the morphology of ZnO into rod and plate-like nanoshapes structure and enhanced its absorption and emission of ultraviolet radiation. The photo-activity in term of quantitative determination of the active oxidative species (()OH) produced on the thin film surfaces was evaluated using fluorescent probe method. The results showed that, the hydrothermally treated 2.0 mol% Sm(3+)/ZnO film (S2) is the highly active one. The optical, structural, morphology and photo-activity properties of the highly active thin film (S2) make it promising surface for self-cleaning and sterilizing applications. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Optical properties of thin films of zinc oxide quantum dots and polydimethylsiloxane: UV-blocking and the effect of cross-linking.

PubMed

Eita, Mohamed; El Sayed, Ramy; Muhammed, Mamoun

2012-12-01

Thin films of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) and ZnO quantum dots (QDs) were built up as multilayers by spin-coating. The films are characterized by a UV-blocking ability that increases with increasing number of bilayers. Photoluminescence (PL) emission spectra of the thin films occur at 522 nm, which is the PL wavelength of the ZnO QDs dispersion, but with a lower intensity and a quantum yield (QY) less than 1% that of the dispersion. Cross-linking has introduced new features to the absorption spectra in that the absorption peak was absent. These changes were attributed to the morphological and structural changes revealed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), respectively. TEM showed that the ZnO particle size in the film increased from 7 (±2.7) nm to 16 (±7.8) upon cross-linking. The FTIR spectra suggest that ZnO QDs are involved in the cross-linking of PDMS and that the surface of the ZnO QDs has been chemically modified. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Tailoring of optical band gap by varying Zn content in Cd{sub 1-x}Zn{sub x}S thin films prepared by spray pyrolysis method

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kumar, Vipin, E-mail: vipinkumar28@yahoo.co.in; Sharma, D. K.; Agrawal, Sonalika

Cd{sub 1-X}Zn{sub X}S thin films (X = 0.2, 0.4, 0.6, 0.8) have been grown on glass substrate by spray pyrolysis technique using equimolar concentration aqueous solution of cadmium chloride, zinc acetate and thiourea. Prepared thin films have been characterized by UV-VIS spectrophotometer. The optical band gap of the films has been studied by transmission spectra in wavelength range 325-600nm. It has been observed that optical band gap increases with increasing zinc concentration. The optical band gap of these thin films varies from 2.59 to 3.20eV with increasing Zn content.

Second-harmonic generation in substoichiometric silicon nitride layers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pecora, Emanuele; Capretti, Antonio; Miano, Giovanni; Dal Negro, Luca

2013-03-01

Harmonic generation in optical circuits offers the possibility to integrate wavelength converters, light amplifiers, lasers, and multiple optical signal processing devices with electronic components. Bulk silicon has a negligible second-order nonlinear optical susceptibility owing to its crystal centrosymmetry. Silicon nitride has its place in the microelectronic industry as an insulator and chemical barrier. In this work, we propose to take advantage of silicon excess in silicon nitride to increase the Second Harmonic Generation (SHG) efficiency. Thin films have been grown by reactive magnetron sputtering and their nonlinear optical properties have been studied by femtosecond pumping over a wide range of excitation wavelengths, silicon nitride stoichiometry and thermal processes. We demonstrate SHG in the visible range (375 - 450 nm) using a tunable 150 fs Ti:sapphire laser, and we optimize the SH emission at a silicon excess of 46 at.% demonstrating a maximum SHG efficiency of 4x10-6 in optimized films. Polarization properties, generation efficiency, and the second order nonlinear optical susceptibility are measured for all the investigated samples and discussed in terms of an effective theoretical model. Our findings show that the large nonlinear optical response demonstrated in optimized Si-rich silicon nitride materials can be utilized for the engineering of nonlinear optical functions and devices on a Si chip.

Experimental study of strong nonlinear-optics effects in liquid crystals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Darbin, S. D.; Arakelyan, S. M.; Cheung, M. M.; Shen, Y. R.

1984-07-01

Nonlinear optical effects that arise in nematic liquid crystals as a result of a change in the index of refraction induced by a laser field are considered. Since the resultant nonlinearity is extremely high, the approximation of perturbation theory cannot be used in calculations. However, the change in refractive index results mainly in phase advance as waves propagate through a thin film of liquid crystal, while the change of intensity is significant. Moreover, if there is no change in polarization of the pumping field, calculations are relatively simple. An investigation is made of the propagation of a cross sectionally bounded laser beam through a homeotropically oriented liquid crystal, giving rise to spatial phase modulation of emission. When the intensity of the laser beam exceeds a certain value, a system of aberation rings is observed in the output radiation. Effects of dynamic self-diffraction accompanying degenerate four-wave mixing when a change in refractive index is induced in a homeotropic liquid crystal film, and optical bistability in a nonlinear Fabry-Perot optical cavity, as well as generation of a self-oscillatory state in such a resonator are discussed.

Chalcogenide glass-on-graphene photonics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lin, Hongtao; Song, Yi; Huang, Yizhong; Kita, Derek; Deckoff-Jones, Skylar; Wang, Kaiqi; Li, Lan; Li, Junying; Zheng, Hanyu; Luo, Zhengqian; Wang, Haozhe; Novak, Spencer; Yadav, Anupama; Huang, Chung-Che; Shiue, Ren-Jye; Englund, Dirk; Gu, Tian; Hewak, Daniel; Richardson, Kathleen; Kong, Jing; Hu, Juejun

2017-12-01

Two-dimensional (2D) materials are of tremendous interest to integrated photonics, given their singular optical characteristics spanning light emission, modulation, saturable absorption and nonlinear optics. To harness their optical properties, these atomically thin materials are usually attached onto prefabricated devices via a transfer process. Here, we present a new route for 2D material integration with planar photonics. Central to this approach is the use of chalcogenide glass, a multifunctional material that can be directly deposited and patterned on a wide variety of 2D materials and can simultaneously function as the light-guiding medium, a gate dielectric and a passivation layer for 2D materials. Besides achieving improved fabrication yield and throughput compared with the traditional transfer process, our technique also enables unconventional multilayer device geometries optimally designed for enhancing light-matter interactions in the 2D layers. Capitalizing on this facile integration method, we demonstrate a series of high-performance glass-on-graphene devices including ultra-broadband on-chip polarizers, energy-efficient thermo-optic switches, as well as graphene-based mid-infrared waveguide-integrated photodetectors and modulators.

Research on precision grinding technology of large scale and ultra thin optics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhou, Lian; Wei, Qiancai; Li, Jie; Chen, Xianhua; Zhang, Qinghua

2018-03-01

The flatness and parallelism error of large scale and ultra thin optics have an important influence on the subsequent polishing efficiency and accuracy. In order to realize the high precision grinding of those ductile elements, the low deformation vacuum chuck was designed first, which was used for clamping the optics with high supporting rigidity in the full aperture. Then the optics was planar grinded under vacuum adsorption. After machining, the vacuum system was turned off. The form error of optics was on-machine measured using displacement sensor after elastic restitution. The flatness would be convergenced with high accuracy by compensation machining, whose trajectories were integrated with the measurement result. For purpose of getting high parallelism, the optics was turned over and compensation grinded using the form error of vacuum chuck. Finally, the grinding experiment of large scale and ultra thin fused silica optics with aperture of 430mm×430mm×10mm was performed. The best P-V flatness of optics was below 3 μm, and parallelism was below 3 ″. This machining technique has applied in batch grinding of large scale and ultra thin optics.

Nature of radio feature formed by re-started jet activity in 3C 84 and its relation with γ-ray emissions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nagai, H.; Chida, H.; Kino, M.; Orienti, M.; D'Ammando, F.; Giovannini, G.; Hiura, K.

2016-02-01

Re-started jet activity occurred in the bright nearby radio source 3C 84 in about 2005. The re-started jet is forming a prominent component (namely C3) at the tip of jet. The component has showed an increase in radio flux density for more than 7 years while the radio spectrum remains optically thin. This suggests that the component is the head of a radio lobe including a hotspot where the particle acceleration occurs. Thus, 3C 84 is a unique laboratory to study the physical properties at the very early stage of radio source evolution. Another important aspect is that high energy and very high energy γ-ray emissions are detected from this source. The quest for the site of γ-ray emission is quite important to obtain a better understanding of γ-ray emission mechanisms in radio galaxies. In this paper, we review the observational results from very long baseline interferometry (VLBI) monitoring of 3C 84 reported in series of our previous papers. We argue the nature of re-started jet/radio lobe and its relation with high-energy emission.

AKARI Near-infrared Spectroscopy of the Extended Green Object G318.05+0.09: Detection of CO Fundamental Ro-vibrational Emission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Onaka, Takashi; Mori, Tamami; Sakon, Itsuki; Ardaseva, Aleksandra

2016-10-01

We present the results of near-infrared (2.5-5.4 μm) long-slit spectroscopy of the extended green object (EGO) G318.05+0.09 with AKARI. Two distinct sources are found in the slit. The brighter source has strong red continuum emission with H2O ice, CO2 ice, and CO gas and ice absorption features at 3.0, 4.25 μm, 4.67 μm, respectively, while the other greenish object shows peculiar emission that has double peaks at around 4.5 and 4.7 μm. The former source is located close to the ultra compact H II region IRAS 14498-5856 and is identified as an embedded massive young stellar object (YSO). The spectrum of the latter source can be interpreted by blueshifted (-3000 ˜ -6000 km s-1) optically thin emission of the fundamental ro-vibrational transitions (v=1{--}0) of CO molecules with temperatures of 12000-3700 K without noticeable H2 and H I emission. We discuss the nature of this source in terms of outflow associated with the young stellar object and supernova ejecta associated with a supernova remnant.

Tunable thin-film optical filters for hyperspectral microscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Favreau, Peter F.; Rich, Thomas C.; Prabhat, Prashant; Leavesley, Silas J.

2013-02-01

Hyperspectral imaging was originally developed for use in remote sensing applications. More recently, it has been applied to biological imaging systems, such as fluorescence microscopes. The ability to distinguish molecules based on spectral differences has been especially advantageous for identifying fluorophores in highly autofluorescent tissues. A key component of hyperspectral imaging systems is wavelength filtering. Each filtering technology used for hyperspectral imaging has corresponding advantages and disadvantages. Recently, a new optical filtering technology has been developed that uses multi-layered thin-film optical filters that can be rotated, with respect to incident light, to control the center wavelength of the pass-band. Compared to the majority of tunable filter technologies, these filters have superior optical performance including greater than 90% transmission, steep spectral edges and high out-of-band blocking. Hence, tunable thin-film optical filters present optical characteristics that may make them well-suited for many biological spectral imaging applications. An array of tunable thin-film filters was implemented on an inverted fluorescence microscope (TE 2000, Nikon Instruments) to cover the full visible wavelength range. Images of a previously published model, GFP-expressing endothelial cells in the lung, were acquired using a charge-coupled device camera (Rolera EM-C2, Q-Imaging). This model sample presents fluorescently-labeled cells in a highly autofluorescent environment. Linear unmixing of hyperspectral images indicates that thin-film tunable filters provide equivalent spectral discrimination to our previous acousto-optic tunable filter-based approach, with increased signal-to-noise characteristics. Hence, tunable multi-layered thin film optical filters may provide greatly improved spectral filtering characteristics and therefore enable wider acceptance of hyperspectral widefield microscopy.

VLA Imaging of Protoplanetary Environments

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wilner, David J.

2004-01-01

We summarize the major accomplishments of our program to use high angular resolution observations at millimeter wavelengths to probe the structure of protoplanetary disks in nearby regions of star formation. The primary facilities used in this work were the Very Large Array (VLA) of the National Radio Astronomy Observatories (NRAO) located in New Mexico, and the recently upgraded Australia Telescope Compact Array (ATCA), located in Australia (to access sources in the far southern sky). We used these facilities to image thermal emission from dust particles in disks at long millimeter wavelengths, where the emission is optically thin and probes the full disk volume, including the inner regions of planet formation that remain opaque at shorter wavelengths. The best resolution obtained with the VLA is comparable to the size scales of the orbits of giant planets in our Solar System (< 10 AU).

Martian atmospheric radiation budget

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lindner, Bernhard Lee

1994-01-01

A computer model is used to study the radiative transfer of the martian winter-polar atmosphere. Solar heating at winter-polar latitudes is provided predominately by dust. For normal, low-dust conditions, CO2 provides almost as much heating as dust. Most heating by CO2 in the winter polar atmosphere is provided by the 2.7 micron band between 10 km and 30 km altitude, and by the 2.0 micron band below 10 km. The weak 1.3 micron band provides some significant heating near the surface. The minor CO2 bands at 1.4, 1.6, 4.8 and 5.2 micron are all optically thin, and produce negligible heating. O3 provides less than 10 percent of the total heating. Atmospheric cooling is predominantly thermal emission by dust, although CO2 15 micron band emission is important above 20 km altitude.

Planar micro- and nano-patterning of GaN light-emitting diodes: Guidelines and limitations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Herrnsdorf, Johannes; Xie, Enyuan; Watson, Ian M.; Laurand, Nicolas; Dawson, Martin D.

2014-02-01

The emission area of GaN light-emitting diodes can be patterned by etch-free current aperturing methods which exploit the thin and highly resistive nature of the p-doped layer in these devices. Here, the fundamental underlying electrical and optical aspects of high-resolution current aperturing are investigated theoretically. The most critical parameter for the possible resolution is the thickness d of the p-GaN layer, but the interplay of p-GaN resistivity and electrical junction characteristics is also important. A spatial resolution of 1.59d can in principle be achieved, corresponding to about 300 nm in typical epitaxial structures. Furthermore, the emission from such a small emitter will spread by about 600 nm while propagating through the p-GaN. Both values can be reduced by reducing d.

H I, CO, and Planck/IRAS dust properties in the high latitude cloud complex, MBM 53, 54, 55 and HLCG 92 – 35. Possible evidence for an optically thick H I envelope around the CO clouds

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Fukui, Yasuo; Okamoto, Ryuji; Kaji, Ryohei

We present an analysis of the H I and CO gas in conjunction with the Planck/IRAS submillimeter/far-infrared dust properties toward the most outstanding high latitude clouds MBM 53, 54, 55 and HLCG 92 – 35 at b = –30° to – 45°. The CO emission, dust opacity at 353 GHz (τ{sub 353}), and dust temperature (T {sub d}) show generally good spatial correspondence. On the other hand, the correspondence between the H I emission and the dust properties is less clear than in CO. The integrated H I intensity W{sub H} {sub I} and τ{sub 353} show a large scattermore » with a correlation coefficient of ∼0.6 for a T {sub d} range from 16 K to 22 K. We find, however, that W{sub H} {sub I} and τ{sub 353} show better correlation for smaller ranges of T {sub d} every 0.5 K, generally with a correlation coefficient of 0.7-0.9. We set up a hypothesis that the H I gas associated with the highest T {sub d} ≥ 21.5 K is optically thin, whereas the H I emission is generally optically thick for T {sub d} lower than 21.5 K. We have determined a relationship for the optically thin H I gas between atomic hydrogen column density and τ{sub 353}, N{sub H} {sub I} (cm{sup −2})=(1.5×10{sup 26})⋅τ{sub 353}, under the assumption that the dust properties are uniform and we have applied this to estimate N{sub H} {sub I} from τ{sub 353} for the whole cloud. N{sub H} {sub I} was then used to solve for T {sub s} and τ{sub H} {sub I} over the region. The result shows that the H I is dominated by optically thick gas having a low spin temperature of 20-40 K and a density of 40-160 cm{sup –3}. The H I envelope has a total mass of ∼1.2 × 10{sup 4} M {sub ☉}, an order of magnitude larger than that of the CO clouds. The H I envelope properties derived by this method do not rule out a mixture of H I and H{sub 2} in the dark gas, but we present indirect evidence that most of the gas mass is in the atomic state.« less

Characterization facility for magneto-optic media and systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mansuripur, M.; Fu, H.; Gadetsky, S.; Sugaya, S.; Wu, T. H.; Zambuto, J.; Gerber, R.; Goodman, T.; Erwin, J. K.

1993-01-01

Objectives of this research are: (1) to measure the hysteresis loop, Kerr rotation angle, anisotropy energy profile, Hall voltage, and magnetoresistance of thin-film magneto-optic media using our loop-tracer; (2) measure the wavelength-dependence of the Kerr rotation angle, Theta(sub k), and ellipticity, epsilon(sub k), for thin-film media using our magneto-optic Kerr spectrometer (MOKS); (3) measure the dielectric tensor of thin-film and multilayer samples using our variable-angle magneto-optic ellipsometer (VAMOE); (4) measure the hysteresis loop, coercivity, remanent magnetization, saturation magnetization, and anisotropy energy constant for thin film magnetic media using vibrating sample magnetometry; (5) observe small magnetic domains and investigate their interaction with defects using magnetic force microscopy; (6) perform static read/write/erase experiments on thin-film magneto-optic media using our static test station; (7) integrate the existing models of magnetization, magneto-optic effects, coercivity, and anisotropy in an interactive and user-friendly environment, and analyze the characterization data obtained in the various experiments, using this modeling package; (8) measure focusing- and tracking-error signals on a static testbed, determine the 'feedthrough' for various focusing schemes, investigate the effects of polarization and birefringence, and compare the results with diffraction-based calculations; and (9) measure the birefringence of optical disk substrates using two variable angle ellipsometers.

Heavily-doped ZnO:Al thin films prepared by using magnetron Co-sputtering: Optical and electrical properties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moon, Eun-A.; Jun, Young-Kil; Kim, Nam-Hoon; Lee, Woo-Sun

2016-07-01

Photovoltaic applications require transparent conducting-oxide (TCO) thin films with high optical transmittance in the visible spectral region (380 - 780 nm), low resistivity, and high thermal/chemical stability. The ZnO thin film is one of the most common alternatives to the conventional indium-tin-oxide (ITO) thin film TCO. Highly transparent and conductive ZnO thin films can be prepared by doping with group III elements. Heavily-doped ZnO:Al (AZO) thin films were prepared by using the RF magnetron co-sputtering method with ZnO and Al targets to obtain better characteristics at a low cost. The RF sputtering power to each target was varied to control the doping concentration in fixed-thickness AZO thin films. The crystal structures of the AZO thin films were analyzed by using X-ray diffraction. The morphological microstructure was observed by using scanning electron microscopy. The optical transmittance and the band gap energy of the AZO thin films were examined with an UV-visible spectrophotometer in the range of 300 - 1800 nm. The resistivity and the carrier concentration were examined by using a Hall-effect measurement system. An excellent optical transmittance > 80% with an appropriate band gap energy (3.26 - 3.27 eV) and an improved resistivity (~10 -1 Ω·cm) with high carrier concentration (1017 - 1019 cm -3) were demonstrated in 350-nm-thick AZO thin films for thin-film photovoltaic applications.

Impact of low-pressure glow-discharge-pulsed plasma polymerization on properties of polyaniline thin films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jatratkar, Aviraj A.; Yadav, Jyotiprakash B.; Deshmukh, R. R.; Barshilia, Harish C.; Puri, Vijaya; Puri, R. K.

2016-12-01

This study reports on polyaniline thin films deposited on a glass substrate using a low-pressure glow-discharge-pulsed plasma polymerization method. The polyaniline thin film obtained by pulsed plasma polymerization has been successfully demonstrated as an optical waveguide with a transmission loss of 3.93 dB cm-1, and has the potential to be employed in integrated optics. An attempt has been made to investigate the effect of plasma OFF-time on the structural, optical as well as surface properties of polyaniline thin film. The plasma ON-time has been kept constant and the plasma OFF-time has been varied throughout the work. The plasma OFF-time strongly influenced the properties of the polyaniline thin film, and a nanostructured and compact surface was revealed in the morphological studies. The plasma OFF-time was found to enhance film thickness, roughness, refractive index and optical transmission loss, whereas it reduced the optical band gap of the polyaniline thin films. Retention in the aromatic structure was confirmed by FTIR results. Optical studies revealed a π-π* electronic transition at about 317 nm as well as the formation of a branched structure. As compared with continuous wave plasma, pulsed plasma polymerization shows better properties. Pulsed plasma polymerization reduced the roughness of the film from 1.2 nm to 0.42 nm and the optical transmission loss from 6.56 dB cm-1 to 3.39 dB cm-1.

Approximate Solution Methods for Spectral Radiative Transfer in High Refractive Index Layers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Siegel, R.; Spuckler, C. M.

1994-01-01

Some ceramic materials for high temperature applications are partially transparent for radiative transfer. The refractive indices of these materials can be substantially greater than one which influences internal radiative emission and reflections. Heat transfer behavior of single and laminated layers has been obtained in the literature by numerical solutions of the radiative transfer equations coupled with heat conduction and heating at the boundaries by convection and radiation. Two-flux and diffusion methods are investigated here to obtain approximate solutions using a simpler formulation than required for exact numerical solutions. Isotropic scattering is included. The two-flux method for a single layer yields excellent results for gray and two band spectral calculations. The diffusion method yields a good approximation for spectral behavior in laminated multiple layers if the overall optical thickness is larger than about ten. A hybrid spectral model is developed using the two-flux method in the optically thin bands, and radiative diffusion in bands that are optically thick.

Zero-Dimensional Cesium Lead Halides: History, Properties, and Challenges

PubMed Central

2018-01-01

Over the past decade, lead halide perovskites (LHPs) have emerged as new promising materials in the fields of photovoltaics and light emission due to their facile syntheses and exciting optical properties. The enthusiasm generated by LHPs has inspired research in perovskite-related materials, including the so-called “zero-dimensional cesium lead halides”, which will be the focus of this Perspective. The structure of these materials is formed of disconnected lead halide octahedra that are stabilized by cesium ions. Their optical properties are dominated by optical transitions that are localized within the individual octahedra, hence the title “‘zero-dimensional perovskites”. Controversial results on their physical properties have recently been reported, and the true nature of their photoluminescence is still unclear. In this Perspective, we will take a close look at these materials, both as nanocrystals and as bulk crystals/thin films, discuss the contrasting opinions on their properties, propose potential applications, and provide an outlook on future experiments. PMID:29652149

Al-/Ga-Doped ZnO Window Layers for Highly Efficient Cu₂ZnSn(S,Se)₄ Thin Film Solar Cells.

PubMed

Seo, Se Won; Seo, Jung Woo; Kim, Donghwan; Cheon, Ki-Beom; Lee, Doh-Kwon; Kim, Jin Young

2018-09-01

The successful use of Al-/Ga-doped ZnO (AGZO) thin films as a transparent conducting oxide (TCO) layer of a Cu2ZnSn(S,Se)4 (CZTSSe) thin film solar cell is demonstrated. The AGZO thin films were prepared by radio frequency (RF) sputtering. The structural, crystallographic, electrical, and optical properties of the AGZO thin films were systematically investigated. The photovoltaic properties of CZTSSe thin film solar cells incorporating the AGZO-based TCO layer were also reported. It has been found that the RF power and substrate temperature of the AGZO thin film are important factors determining the electrical, optical, and structural properties. The optimization process involving the RF power and the substrate temperature leads to good electrical and optical transmittance of the AGZO thin films. Finally, the CZTSSe solar cell with the AGZO TCO layer demonstrated a high conversion efficiency of 9.68%, which is higher than that of the conventional AZO counterpart by 12%.

Structural and optical analysis of 60Co gamma-irradiated thin films of polycrystalline Ga10Se85Sn5

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ahmad, Shabir; Asokan, K.; Shahid Khan, Mohd.; Zulfequar, M.

2015-12-01

The present study focuses on the effects of gamma irradiation on structural and optical properties of polycrystalline Ga10Se85Sn5 thin films with a thickness of ∼300 nm deposited by the thermal evaporation technique on cleaned glass substrates. X-ray diffraction patterns of the investigated thin films show that crystallite growth occurs in the orthorhombic phase structure. The surface study carried out by using the scanning electron microscope (SEM) confirms that the grain size increases with gamma irradiation. The optical parameters were estimated from optical transmission spectra data measured from a UV-vis-spectrophotometer in the wavelength range of 200-1100 nm. The refractive index dispersion data of the investigated thin films follow the single oscillator model. The estimated values of static refractive index n0, oscillator strength Ed, zero frequency dielectric constant ε0, optical conductivity σoptical and the dissipation factor increases after irradiation, while the single oscillator energy Eo decreases after irradiation. It was found that the value of the optical band gap of the investigated thin films decreases and the corresponding absorption coefficient increases continuously with an increase in the dose of gamma irradiation. This post irradiation changes in the values of optical band gap and absorption coefficient were interpreted in terms of the bond distribution model.